49° 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



short shanks, rarely exceeding" \\ inches in 

 length. In all the lighter colours the shanks 

 are white ; in blacks they may be dark. The 

 plumage is found of all colours ; and while 

 single combs are most common, rose-combs are 

 also allowed. These variations denote con- 

 siderable mixture in breeding. 



The Dumpy cock attains to 7 lbs. or 8 lbs. 

 weight, the hen a pound less. The bird is a 

 very good layer, and the flesh exceedingly 

 tender and juicy, surpassing that of Dorkings 

 in the opinion of some who have compared the 

 two directly. They are admirable sitters, 

 covering more eggs than their size would ap- 

 pear to warrant, and make good and assiduous 

 mothers, who have the quality of generally 

 taking readily to the chicks of other fowls. 

 Taking it all in all, the fowl is one well worth 

 more cultivation on both sides of the Border. 

 The Standard will be found at the end of 

 this chapter. 



SCOTCH GREYS. 



This is a most useful breed, v^'hich we have 

 often wondered has not been more popular in 

 England. It has long been known and valued 

 in Scotland, but about thirty-live years ago 

 seemed losing ground even there ; more re- 

 cently, however, it has been taken up with 

 energy, and at many Scottish shows there are 

 now large and good classes. It has been called 

 the Scotch Dorking, but is entirely different in 

 carriage and shape from that fowl, being more 

 sprightly in form, with something of the Old 

 English Game style about it. The comb is 

 single and moderate in size, upright in the 

 cock, usually falling over in the hen, the ear- 

 lobe red, wattles medium in size, legs white or 

 white mottled with black. The plumage in 

 general resembles that of the barred Rock, but 

 has a tendency to finer marking, and the more 

 pronounced black and white of American Rock 

 breeders. Compared with birds we saw at the 

 Scottish shows in 1869-75, those of the present 

 day have gamed considerably in size, typical 

 shape, and absence of white, black, or rust in 

 the plumage. We do not remember at that 

 time the " mouse-colour " mentioned below, 

 which has probably been more apparent since 

 the banishment of distinct white and black. 



The Scotch Grey is a very moderate eater 

 and good forager, and an especially hardy 

 fowl, especially in cold or damp situations. 

 The flesh is as a rule more juicy than that of 

 the Dorking, partaking more of the Houdan 

 character. The breed was not formerly known 

 as a very good layer in comparison with some 

 others ; but it has been found that this quality. 



as in other breeds, can be easily developed, 

 and good laying strains formed. We know it 

 to be making progress both on the Continent 

 and in the United States. The fowl does not 

 appear, however, well adapted for confinement 

 in sheds or very small runs, being too restless 

 or active, and (like other breeds of that dis- 

 position) rather .apt in such circumstances to 

 start feather-eating. 



The following article upon this valuable 

 breed is kindly supplied by Mr. John Carswell, 

 Falkirk, N.B., Secretary of the Scotch Grey 

 Club :— 



" The Scotch Grey, or ' Chick Marley,' as 

 old Scotch country people used to call it, is 

 one of our good all-round breeds of poultry. 

 They are very good layers, and lay a fairly 

 large egg of a pale cream colour. They are 

 not good broody hens, sitting often ten or 

 twelve days and then deserting the nest, and 

 at a meeting of the Scotch Grey Club some 

 }'ears ago in Perth it was agreed, after some 

 discussion, to class them as non-sitters. They 

 are grand table fowls, being finely covered 

 with flesh, of a very close texture and fine 

 flavour, and pale cream in colour. They are 

 also very prolific fowls, and you may cross 

 them with any breed, and have a fine cross, 

 showing distinctive traces in size, shape, or 

 colour of the Scotch Grey parent. 



" There has recently been a great demand 

 from America, and even more so from 

 Germany, for our good old breed, and a 

 ' Scotch Grey Club ' has been started in both 

 countries, and is doing well. I have myself 

 quite recently sent three lots of birds to German 

 fanciers, who speak highly of the Scotch Grey 

 as producing large eggs, and also of their very 

 excellent qualities as a table fowl. 



" When mating birds for breeding, one has 

 to be very careful about the strains, or you 

 may have a large percentage of both black and 

 very light chickens. Strange to say, nearly all 

 the blacks are pullets, and the very light- 

 coloured ones are cocks.* Select a good 

 shaped, fairly large, well and evenly marked 

 cock, being sure that his colour is good and 

 free from all rustiness in back and wings, and 

 from mousey colour in body. Put him to hens 

 equally well bred, evenly marked, and of 

 specially good colour, with dark necks, and 

 darker all over than the cock ; such mating will 

 produce the best birds, and give you more 

 satisfaction than breeding from a dark cock 

 and lighter coloured hens. A great evil, too, 

 is breeding from either cocks or hens with white 

 in tail, especially in sickle feathers. I never 



* It is the same in Barred Rocl<s. 



