POULTRY. 251 



are round, plump, and short in the body; wide on the breast, with 

 abundance of white juicy flesh. The hens are generally good layers, 

 and their eggs, though smaller than the egg of the Spanish and Polish 

 breeds, are of good size and well flavored. These birds have been long 

 prized, and it is now many years since their supei-iority over our ordi- 

 nary domestic varieties was originally discovered and appreciated; they 

 were first noticed, and the variety adopted, by the Cumberland breed- 

 ers, whence they were soon brought into Lancashire and Westmoreland, 

 and gradually spread over all England. Whether, however, from inju- 

 dicious treatment, or imperfect feeding, or change of climate, or from 

 whatever cause, it is certain that, when met with far from their native 

 place, they appear greatly to have degenerated from their original 

 superiority of character. In this, and all other varieties of fowl, fresh 

 blood should be introduced from time to time, or the breed degenerates. 



The best breed of the gallinaceous fowls is the produce of the Dork- 

 ing (Surry) cock and the common dunghill fowl. This cross is larger 

 and plumper, and more hardy than the pure Dorking, without losing 

 delicacy of flavor or whiteness of flesh. 



The characteristics of the pure Dorking are, that it is* white-feathered, 

 short-legged, and an excellent layer. The peculiarity of this established 

 variety, which has frequently five claws perfectly articulated (with some- 

 times a sixth springing laterally from the fifth, but always imperfect), is 

 well known. The crossing with the Sussex fowl has however greatly 

 diminished the monstrosity in the Surry pentadactylus vaiiety. But 

 though the true Dorking, which is white, is much esteemed, that color 

 is rare, and prized for the ornament of the poultry-yard; speckled colors 

 are most generally seen with the higgler. 



The Sussex. — This is but an improved variety of Dorking, similar in 

 shape and general character, usually of a brown color, but possessing 

 the advantage of wanting the fifth toe ; we say advantage, for the 

 Dorking fowl frequently becomes diseased in the feet, the cocks espe- 

 cially, in consequence of breaking the supplementary toe in fighting. 



The Game Fowl. — The game fowl is one of the most gracefully-formed 

 and most beautifully colored of our domestic breeds of poultry ; in its 

 form and aspect, and in the extraordinary courage which characterizes 

 its natural disposition, it exhibits all that either the naturalist or the 

 sportsman recognizes as the beau ideal of high blood, embodying, in 

 short, all the most indubitable characteristics of gallinaceous aristoc- 

 racy. 



We do not possess any very satisfactory record of the original coun- 

 try of the game fowl ; but we are disposed to cede that honor to India, 

 the natives of which country have always been remarkable for their 

 love of cock-fighting ; and we also know that there still exists in India 

 an original variety of game cock, very similar to our own, but inferior 

 in point of size. As to the date or occasion of their first introduction 

 into the British islands, we know nothing certain ; but it is probable 

 that we owe it to the invasion of Julius Caisar, the Romans having been 

 very fond of the sport of cock fighting. 



It is not only for its pugnacious qualities that the game fowl is to be 

 noticed ; it yields to no breed, nay, perhaps is superior to most, in tho 



