PI, YM 01 'I'll ROCK STANDARD AND BREED BOOK 93 



"The Dominique fowl, well selected and carefully bred, is a 

 fine and useful bird. They are distinguished as Dominique by 

 their markings and their color, which is generally considered as 

 indication of hardiness and fecundity. They are by some called 

 'Hawk-colored fowls,' from their strong resemblance in color to 

 the birds of that name. In England they are usually called 

 'Cuckoo fowls/ from the fancied resemblance of their plumage 

 to the feathers on the cuckoo's breast. We seldom see bad hens 

 of this variety, and, take them 'all-in-all/ we do not hesitate in 

 pronouncing them one of the best and most profitable fowls, 

 being hardy, good layers, careful nurses, and affording excellent 

 eggs and first quality of flesh. 



"In any close grouping of the breeds of poultry, the Domi- 

 nique fowl might perhaps be safely referred to the Dorkings. 

 Some of the slate-colored, barred Dorkings are scarcely distin- 

 guished from them, except by the fifth toe; still there is some- 

 thing very permanent and remarkable in the peculiar style of 

 plumage that ought not to be lost sight of. It is with difficulty 

 got rid of by crossing. Half-bred Spanish and Dorking fowls 

 have quite retained the barred and shaded feathers of the one 

 parent, displaying the comb, ear-lobe and stature of the other. 

 And this curious and decided plumage is quite confined to one or 

 two breeds, never appearing, that we are aware, in others, such 

 as the Game, the Malays, and the Hamburgs ; a circumstance 

 which makes us believe it to indicate an ancient descent from 

 some peculiar and original parentage. 



"The prevailing and true color of the Dominique fowl is a 

 light ground, undulated and softly shaded with a slaty-blue all 

 over the body, as indicated in the portrait of the cock, forming 

 bands of various widths. In order to be more fully and better 

 understood, and to show the peculiar markings of the feathers, 

 we procured a feather from one of the hens, which is faithfully 

 delineated on the opposite page. The comb of the cock is vari- 

 able, some being single, while others are double most, however, 

 are single ; the iris, bright orange ; feet and legs light flesh color 

 some, however, are of a bright yellow or buff color; bill the 

 same color as the legs. 



"The hens are not large, but plump and full breasted. The 

 cocks are somewhat larger than the hens, some approaching the 

 smaller sized Dorkings in weight. The chickens at two or three 

 months old exhibit the barred plumage even more perfectly than 

 the full-grown birds. 



