POULTRY. 



P E A-F O W L. 



The peacock, also one of the Gallinaceous tribe 

 of birds, came originally, it is said, from India, 

 and was well known to the ancient Greeks and 

 Romans, who introduced it into their mythology. 

 The great beauty of its tail, so ample in extent, 

 and so rich in colours, rendered it indeed not 

 unworthy of such preferment. 



One peacock is usually kept with three or four 

 hens. The female is extremely fastidious about a 

 spot to lay in, and generally leaves any artificial 

 nest for the grass of some neighbouring coppice, 

 where she lays under the branches of a shrub, 

 in a well-concealed situation. One reason for 

 this is the propensity of the cock to break the 

 eggs if he discovers them. When the eggs of 

 the peahen are gathered in sufficient numbers, 

 whether from a natural or artificial nest, it is a 

 common practice to place them under a common 

 hen, which hatches them in thirty days, and 

 makes an excellent stepmother to the young 

 chicks. These are very tender at first, but soon 

 grow vigorous, even in a chilly climate. Barley- 

 meal paste, mixed with cheese or curd prepared 

 from milk, with alum, ants' eggs, meal-worms, and 

 hard-boiled egg, are among the common articles 

 of diet given to the young. The grown-up pea- 

 fowl feeds on boiled barley or other common 

 grains, and is a dangerous visitor of corn or 

 wheat fields and gardens. On the other hand, 

 they are voraciously fond of such creatures as 

 frogs, lizards, and the like, and keep grounds 

 clear of such annoyances. In moulting-time, it is 

 requisite to be more careful of these fowls than at 

 other times, and to give them good grain, with a 

 little honey and fresh water. Though the tongues 

 and livers of peacocks were ranked among the 

 dainties of the Roman epicures, the bird is rarely 

 killed for table nowadays, and indeed is grown 

 mostly for ornament. It always bears a high 

 price, being one of the most beautiful of the 

 feathered race, and an object on which the eye 

 ever delights to dwell, though its screaming note 

 by no means gives a corresponding pleasure to 

 the ear. 



THE GUINEA-FOWL. 



This stranger is found native in Africa, as its 

 name indicates, and it also exists in an indigen- 

 ous state in South America. The Guinea-fowl 

 (Numidia meleagris) is about the size of the 

 common hen, and the male differs very little in 

 appearance from the female. Three species exist 

 in considerable numbers in Europe namely, the 

 crested, the mitred, and Egyptian varieties. A 

 very beautiful sort is marked by a pure white tint 

 of body, but the most familiar hues are dark-gray 

 and black. The bird is less tame than other 

 common poultry, and prefers to live in a half-wild 

 condition in its native regions, perching and 

 living on trees like undomesticated birds. It is 

 a spirited creature, and will battle even with the 

 turkey. Guinea-hens require great attention at the 

 time of laying, making their nests by preference 

 in corners of the woods. Their eggs are small, 

 but much esteemed ; and the common hen is 

 usually made to rear their broods. In the market, 

 guinea-fowls always bear a high price, both on 

 account of their flesh, which is of a good quality, 

 and because they form a very pretty variety of the 



poultry stock. Their food is grain, of the various 

 kinds given to ordinary barn-door fowls, with 

 which they assimilate closely in habits. On the 

 whole, they may be said to be kept mote from 

 cunosity than for profit. 



THE GOOSE. 



f The goose differs in many respects from the 

 fowls already noticed, being aquatic in its habits. 

 It is marked by a flat bill and webbed feet, char- 

 acters also possessed by the duck and swan, 

 which, in conjunction with the goose, may be held 

 as forming a distinct family (Anatidce) of the 

 feathered aquatic tribes. 



Our common tame goose is the wild species 

 domesticated, known to naturalists by the name 

 of the fen or stubble goose. Where people have 

 a right of common, or live in the vicinity of 

 marshy heaths, the breeding and rearing of geese 

 will prove very profitable, for in such situations 

 they are kept at a trifling expense ; they are very 

 hardy, and live to a great age. If properly kept, 

 and fed regularly, although sparingly, they will 

 lay upwards of 100 eggs yearly. If these are set 

 under large hens, each having half-a-dozen, with 

 the assistance of the goose herself, they may be 

 nearly all hatched. For the first three or four 

 days, the young must be kept warm and dry, and 

 fed on barley-meal or oatmeal mixed with milk, if 

 it is easily procured ; if not, let these ingredients 

 be mixed with water. They will begin to grow in 

 about a week. For a week or two the goslings 

 should not be turned out till late in the morning, 

 and should always be taken in early in the even- 

 ing. In Ireland, many of the tenantry depend 

 largely on the breeding of these birds and turkeys 

 to pay their rent ; and with those who are indus- 

 trious and favourably situated for rearing geese, 

 they even do more in many cases. In Caithness, 

 for instance, the cottars breed large numbers of 

 geese, and dispose of them or many of them 

 to the farmers, who have them herded in immense 

 droves on the lea, and afterwards on the stubble 

 land. They soon get quite fat, and not only pay 

 the breeder well, but often the feeder better. 

 Geese fatten more rapidly picking the stray grains 

 left on the stubbles than under any other of the 

 common modes of feeding them. Both the quantity 

 and flavour of the flesh are materially improved 

 on the stubble-land. 



Although water is the natural element of geese, 

 it is a curious fact that they feed much faster 

 in situations remote from rivers and streams ; 

 still they must have abundance of fresh water 

 to drink. To fatten geese, it is necessary to give 

 them a little corn daily, with the addition of some 

 raw Swedish turnips, carrots, mangold-wurzel 

 leaves, lucern, tares, cabbage-leaves, and let- 

 tuces. They should not be allowed to run much 

 at large when they are fattening, as thev do not 

 acquire flesh nearly so fast when allowed to take 

 much exercise. The pen or inclosure in which 

 they are kept should be of considerable size, and 

 afford ample protection from the sun. There 

 should be three troughs in the pen : one for dry 

 oats, another for vegetables which ought always 

 to be cut down and a third for clean water, of 

 which they must always have a plentiful supply. 

 It must be remembered that the riper the cab- 

 bages and lettuces with which they are supplied, 



W 



