£9° 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



ago there was only one breeder of pure Embdens, 

 and now there are over a score, besides numbers 

 of rearers who buy Embdens for crossing 

 purposes. Thirty years ago exhibition Embdens 

 were in the hands of a few fanciers, the most 

 famous coming from Lancashire. The ex- 

 hibitors of this variety are now more widely 

 distributed. Not only in this country are these 

 fine birds sought after, but goose breeders from 

 all parts of the world are eager to obtain them. 

 Both sittings of eggs, and birds, are exported 

 far and near. Possessors of Embdens may well 

 be proud of their geese. It is an interesting 

 study to preserve their swan-like whiteness, 

 to increase their size, to maintain their special 

 capacity for early growth and delicate quality 

 of' flesh for table, and to improve their laying 

 qualities, always endeavouring to keep the 

 stock hardy and healthy. With care and prac- 

 tical work, these objects can easily be attained. 

 The breeder of a typical Embden may indeed 

 feel that he is the happy possessor of the goose 

 that lays the golden eggs, and will be able to 

 say that ' all his geese are swans.' " * 



The Toulouse breed takes its name from 

 the well-known city in southern France, round 

 which birds generally similar to, though not so 



fine as the English stock, are still 

 The reared to a large extent ; and it is 



Gooie"'^ this variety which is used in the 



production of the celebrated patt' 

 de foie gras, so much imported from the Con- 

 tinent, the essential part of which consists of 

 goose-livers potted with truffles. Did people 

 realise how this delicacy is produced, it is to 

 be hoped that it would be less popular than 

 it is, even amongst fashionable epicures. To 

 make a painful story as short as possible, even 

 by the more merciful feeders the geese are 

 confined in a very hot room or caged near a 

 stove, and there forced with fattening food 



* In compiling this article most of the standard English 

 works on poultry have been consulted, also the following 

 authors: Blanchon ("Canards, Oies"), Diirigen ("Gefliigel- 

 zucht"), Kramer ("Rasse gefliigelzucht "), Vienkoff ("Les 

 Oies en Russie"). The Journals of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society, and Socit'te d'Acclimatation de P'rance ; the 

 American Poultry Journal, and Live Slock Jimrnal. Notes on 

 the rearing and exhibition of Embdens have been most kindly 

 given by many breeders and judges, including Messrs. Abbot, 

 Baily, Bagshaw, Bragg, J. Pettipher, MM. Flescher and Marchand 

 (Muids, France), Herr Radetzky (Wurzburg). Information 

 has also been received through the kindness and courtesy of Mr. 

 Brown (Secretary, National Poultry Organisation Society), 

 M. L'Hoest (Societe Royale de Zoologie, Antwerp), M. Loyer 

 (Secretary, Societe Nationale d'Acclimatation de France), M. 

 Oustalet (Mus. Hist. Nat., Paris), Mr. Theobald (British 

 Museum, Natural History), M. Van der Snickt (Brussels), 

 Captain Boyle (British Consul, Copenhagen), Mr. Boyes 

 (British Vice-Consul, Bremen), Mr. Zorn (British Vice-Consul, 

 Kmbden). 



until they would die in a day or two more, 

 when they are killed, and their livers are found 

 swelled to an enorrnous size ; but there is un- 

 fortunately no room for doubt that by some 

 the wretched birds are tied down to prevent 

 their moving, and by a few, actually nailed by 

 their feet to a board. 



This goose is beyond doubt the result of 

 breeding and feeding up the grey or dark 

 descendants of the Grey-lag, and presents 

 marked differences from the preceding in 

 several respects. For the following descriptive 

 notes we are indebted to Miss Campain, of 

 Deeping St. Nicholas, Spalding, known as a 

 prize-taker with this variety for many years : — 



" It is many years since I started breeding 

 geese, and for several years I have been an 

 exhibitor at the leading shows of both the 

 Embden and Toulouse, with a fair share of 

 success, but I treat here of the Toulouse variety. 

 I started by buying a pair of his celebrated 

 geese from Mr. Fowler, of Aylesbury, who had 

 then quite as good birds as anyone, if not the 

 best at that time. The gander, I think, was 

 without exception the longest bird in every 

 way I have seen, and the goose was remark- 

 ably good in colour, very wide and deep, and 

 not showing the least tinge of brown in 

 plumage, but of a beautiful silver grey. 



" This variety should be massive and heavy 

 in appearance in every way. In both the 

 gander and the goose the head should be broad 

 and deep in face, the beak being in a straight 

 line from the top of the head to the tip, very 

 strong and without any indenture or hollow in 

 the top bill, which gives the bill a most ob- 

 jectionable snipy appearance. The bill should 

 he of a rather brown flesh-colour,* the dewlap 

 should hang well down, and be as large as 

 possible. The neck should be long and grace- 

 ful ; a short neck completely spoils the appear- 

 ance, and in mating up for breeding, care 

 should be taken in this point, because they are 

 apt to breed short. Both for the show-pen and 

 for breeding, the birds should be exceptionally 

 well bowed in front and 'keeled' deeply, points 

 which in this variety are of almost primary im- 

 portance, with their bodies almost touching 

 the ground behind. They must be very broad 

 across the back, and long to the tip of the 

 tail. Their legs must show as large an amount 

 of bone as possible, to get which is a great 

 indication of size and massiveness. In colour 

 they should be rather dark grey on the head, 

 neck, back, and wings ; rather lighter on the 

 breast, gradually becoming lighter towards the 

 belly, where it ends in good pure white. The 



* \_T/ie standard says " orange." See also next pa^e. — Ed.] 



