16 



JOUENAL OF HOBTIOULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



t July 2, 1874. 



shortly to see some more towns making an attempt to form 



poultry and Pigeon Shows, and I hope their exertions may not 

 be in vain. — F. S. H. 



THE STANDARD FOR PRIZE POULTRY, .tc. 



Upon reading the account of the formation of the National Or- 

 nithological Association at the last Crystal Palace Poultry Show, 

 I was in hopes there was a possibility of pomethiug definite 

 taking place in the matter of deciding upon a standard for judg- 

 ing poultry, &c., but up to the present time there seems to be no 

 likelihood of anything being done in the matter ; and the more 

 I hear and see of the conflicting awards at the different shows, 

 the more I am convinced of the necessity of some standard rules 

 being laid down, to guide not only exhibitors but also the judges 

 in making their awards. At the present time it is quite a lottery 

 in prizetaking ; each judge seems to have a standard of his own, 

 frequently at variance with that of others ; but I am of opinion 

 the matter might easily be set at rest if our principal judges 

 would take it in hand and agree amongst themselves what shall 

 be the correct standard for prize poultry. — An Old Fancier. 



WHAT IS A "WHITE" BANTAM? 



I RECENTLY received a prize-list of the Ipswich Show, and 

 finding a class for " Black or White " Bantams, entered a pen of 

 the former, on the supposition that those two varieties only 

 would compete. The third prize was awarded to a "Japanese." 

 Now, this might be a " White Bantam " (provided it was not 

 one with a black tail) in a broad sense, but certainly is not what 

 is generally understood to be such ; and it was either a mistake 

 to award the prize so, or the schedule was calculated to mislead. 

 I, amongst many others, make it a rule never to show where 

 more than the Black and White Bantams compete iu one class, 

 and I should not have entered for Ipswich had 1 known the class 

 was open to other varieties. — E. Cambridge. 



THE 



POULTRY- KEEPER.— No. 

 LA FLECHE. 



COCK — CHARACTERISTICS. 



Body. — Well formed, firmly set ou long and strong legs. 

 The bird seems smaller than it is in reality, because the feathers 

 are close-fitting. All the muscular part is well developed. 

 Plumage black. Of all the French cocks the La Fleche (fig. 4) 



Fig. 4.— La Fleche Cock. 



is the one of most upright carriage. It is much like the Spanish, 

 from which some believe it Las been bred by crossings with the 

 Crcve-Creurs. Others think this variety is descended from the 

 Breda, to which it has some points of resemblance. Skin white 



Flesh tender, juicy, delicate, and 



fine, transparent, and elastic, 

 readily fattened. 



WEIGHT, SIZE, AND PECULIARITIES. 



Weiglit.—Kt full age from 7J lbs. to 8 lbs. 13 oza. Flesh ex- 

 tremely fine and abundant. Bones light, about one-eighth cf 

 the weight. 



Size — From the upper part of the head to under the feet, 

 21g inches. In an upright position, 25i''o inches. From the 

 back under the feet, 16J inches. 



Bodij. — Circumference taken in -the middle under the wings, 

 and where the thighs join it, 22^^^ inches. 



Length of Body. — From the beginning of the neck to the end 

 of the rump, H inches. Size of shoulders, 11 inches. 



Head (fig. 5). — Length, 3J inches. Cheeks nearly naked from 

 the beak to the ear. 



Crest. — A little plume of feathers, sometimes short and 

 straight, and sometimes long and drooping, is placed on the 

 forehead, but behind the comb. 



Fig. 5. — La Fleche Cock's Head. 



Fig. 6.— La Fleche Cock's Comh. 



Comb (fig. 6). — From l-i''^- inch to 2 inches, transversal, 

 double, in the form of horns, bending forward, iinited at their 

 base, usually far apart at their points, often united and pointed; 

 sometimes having in the middle some branches. A small double 

 comb which comes out of the upper part of the nostrils is placed 

 about 10 inch in front, and though hardly as big as a pea, this, 

 whicli surmounts an elevation formed by the enlargement of the 

 nostrils, gives a peculiar look to the head. 



Wiittlis — HauKiug and very long, from 2i* inches to 3J inches. 



Ears. — Very large and folding under the neck, of a clear dull 

 white, especially at the mating time. It is those which have the 

 greatest white ears that most resemble the Spanish. The little 

 bunch of feathers which covers the auditory organ is black. 



Nustrits. — Very open, and of a_ peculiar shape. They are 

 formed within the elevation that is in front of the small comb. 



Beak. — Strong, slightly bent, of a grey sombre colour, becom- 

 ing yellow at the point. Length, 1-^^g inch. 



iris of Et/e. — Brilliant red, more or less deep. 



Pupil— Bleick. 



Physiognomy of the Head. — The physiognomy is determined 

 above all by the little elevation which comes out around the 

 nostrils, surmounted by a little comb. This prominence of the 

 comb seems to increase the characteristic depression of the 

 beak, and gives some likeness to the rhinoceros. The comb and 

 horns are like the Crcve-Ca'ur, and the large white ear is like the 

 Spanish. 



Foot. — Sole of the foot very strong and very muscular. Cir- 

 cumference, 2g inches. 



Toes, — Strong, with long claws. Middle ones, Scinches; in- 

 side and outside, 2 5 iuches ; hind one, 1^]. inch. 



Colour of the Foot. — Blue slate, more or less dark according 

 to age, turning to dark grey in old age. 



Weight of Chicken. — The chickens may be eaten when about 

 five months old, but generally they are not fattened till seven 

 or eight months old, the time when they have arrived at their 

 last stage of growth. The male then takes the name of " a 

 maiden cock," and when his fattening is ended, which should 

 last a month or six weeks, he weighs II lbs. or more. A 

 maiden cock not fattened at the age of eight months is from 

 about 7Jlbs. to 8} lbs., equal iu weight to an adult cock in good 

 condition. The weight of the flesh is variable, according to the 

 stage of fattening, and if that of the bones is one-eighth in its 

 normal condition, it is under that when the bird is fattened. 



Plumage. — The plumage of La Fleche is entirely black, with 

 the exception of some small white feathers, which may some- 

 times be seen iu the small crest. The feathers of the neck are 



