CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



The wild rabbits, by their destructive propen- 

 sities, extraordinary fecundity, and natural dex- 

 terity in evading the contents of the rifle, have 

 awakened the ire of every farmer on whose 

 possessions they numerously tread. They un- 

 doubtedly are very destructive on almost all kinds 

 of crops the farmer produces. In fact, their 

 existence to any appreciable extent runs in the 

 teeth of good and successful farming. Except, 

 therefore, in cases where the farmer or parties 

 aggrieved have full power to enter the warrens, 

 ferret the burrows, and thus keep the rabbits few 

 in numbers, all warrens or rabbit preserves should 

 be thoroughly fenced ; and it is no ordinary fence 

 that will defy a rabbit 



POULTRY. 



Poultry (from poule, French for hen) is a term 

 applied to different kinds of large birds in a state 

 of domestication; as the chicken or barn-door 

 fowl, turkey, duck, goose, pea-fowl, and guinea- 

 fowl 



COMMON FOWLS BREEDS AND MANAGEMENT. 



The common fowl is classed by naturalists in the 

 tribe of the Gallmacetz, forming part of the order 

 Rasores, or Scraping-birds (see ZOOLOGY). The 

 most prominent characteristics of the cock, or 

 male bird, are a thin indented comb, with wattles 

 on each side under the beak ; a tail rising in an 

 arch, and a great variegation of colours. The 

 female, or hen, is smaller as regards body, comb, 

 and wattles, and her tints are less vivid. The 

 domestication of this useful bird seems to have 

 taken place in the earliest times, and Persia is 

 commonly supposed to have been the country of 

 its origin. The best marked varieties are the 

 following: The Dunghill Fowl, Game Fowl, 

 Dorking Fowl, Brahmaputra, Houdan, Creve- 

 cceur, La Fleche, Polish Fowl, Spanish Fowl, 

 Malay Fowl, Hamburg Fowl, Cochin-China Fowl, 

 and Bantam. 



The first of these varieties is a mongrel one, 

 arising from crosses with the other breeds. The 

 best fowls of this sort are of middle size and dark 

 colour, and have white, clean legs ; the pure white 

 dunghill fowls are held to be the weakest in 

 constitution, and to lay fewest eggs. Compara- 

 tively few of the white fowls exist now. Indeed, 

 the number of barn-door birds of any colour has 

 been decreasing for some time in this country; 

 and the Dorking and other more fashionable 

 varieties increasing in a corresponding ratio. 



The game bird has occasionally been termed 

 the proper English fowl It is indeed a princely 

 little bird, with body erect and slender, and the 

 colour, of the male bird especially, showy. As 

 the race-horse in appearance is to the Clydesdale 

 or Cleveland horse, so, it has been said, is the 

 game bird to other fowls. The flesh of the game 

 fowl, though, of course, comparatively deficient in 

 quantity, is peculiarly white, and delicate in 

 flavour; while, if small, the eggs are of superior 

 quality. But the extremely pugnacious spirit 

 of this fowl, which led to its name, impairs its 

 usefulness to a great extent So inherent is this 

 fighting propensity, that broods scarcely feathered 

 are found occasionally to have reduced themselves 



662 



to utter blindness by reciprocal battling. Even 

 when the breed is crossed and recrossed, a tinc- 

 ture of the love of fighting still remains, rendering 

 such admixtures the source of risk and trouble, 

 though in other respects advantageous. Where 

 persons prefer to have a game-cock in their 

 poultry-yard, their choice, according to the best 

 authorities, should be directed to a bird of one or 

 other of the following colours: dark-red, dark 

 black-breasted red, dark-gray, mealy-gray, and 

 reddish-dun. 



The Dorking fowl derives its name from a town 

 in Surrey, where it has long been reared in great 

 numbers. It is a large bird, well shaped, with a 

 long capacious body, short legs, and five claws 

 upon each foot instead of four. One spur charac- 

 terises other breeds of the common fowl, but the 

 Dorking fowl has two spurs on each leg. These 

 distinctive marks seem to be of old standing in 

 peculiar breeds, as both Aristotle and Pliny men- 

 tion five-toed fowls. Though, from repeated 

 crossings, the Dorking fowls are now found of 

 different colours, white or yellowish-white is sup- 

 posed to have been the primitive and genuine 

 tint. They lay good-sized eggs, and in great 

 plenty ; and have grown in popularity greatly over 

 Scotland in particular within the last fifteen years. 

 They occupy the place of honour at the leading 

 poultry-shows, which is evidence of their gener- 

 ally recognised superiority. The Dorkings come 

 early to maturity, lay early, and are good nurses. 

 They are unquestionably the best of any distinct 

 breed for the farmer, being good foragers, and far 

 from troublesome or mischievous about the stead- 

 ing. London and other large towns are supplied 

 by large numbers of chickens and capons of this 

 breed. The offal is small in comparison to the 

 flesh, which in flavour is justly held as excellent 

 The shape, size, and beauty of plumage, together 

 with its hatching properties, recommend the 

 Dorking to the attention of every poultry-keeper. 

 Of three distinct colours, red, white, and gray, the 

 last-named is the best and most common. Even 

 of it there are two varieties, the ' silver ' and the 

 coloured. It is only in colour, however, that these 

 birds differ. 



The Poland (Polish or Paduan) fowl is much 

 valued by breeders, but is not often found per- 

 fectly pure in Britain. The species was imported 

 principally from Holland; and when unmixed, 

 was uniformly of a black colour, with a white 

 crest or tuft of feathers, instead of a comb, on the 

 heads of both cock and hen. They are reared in 

 immense numbers in France and Egypt, the eggs 

 being hatched in the latter country artificially. 

 Their form is plump and deep, and the legs of 1 " 

 best sorts not too long. They are splendid layer 

 but are not good hatchers, from a natural disin- 

 clination to sit on eggs. 



The Spanish fowl is of considerable size, and 

 lays large eggs. It is of the Polish family, and is 

 almost uniformly marked by a black body, dark 

 legs, white sides of head, and large red combs. 

 This variety ranks as one of the standing breeds 

 in this country, mainly on account of its laying 

 properties. Spanish fowls are beautiful stately 

 birds, though not so good hatchers, nor so much 

 prized on the table, as some other breeds. 



The Malay fowl is described as handsome, but 

 it is not much introduced into this country, nor 

 is it likely to be, because of its pugnacious habits. 



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