DOMESTIC FOWLS. 315 



thousandth portion of the descriptions of these beautiful domestic 

 birds, we should fill the whole of the space allowed for our present 

 brief article. 



COMMON FOWLS 



are supposed to be of eastern origin, although we doubt it very much, 

 for if not brought over by the Romans when they invaded England, 

 they were well known to the early Saxons soon after their departure, 

 and also to the ancient Britons anterior to their time. Every boy 

 knows what splendid- looking creatures the bantam cock and hen are, 

 and has seen them so often, that we need not dwell upon the graceful 

 fall of the hackles of the cock, sometimes looking like a golden cape 

 thrown over his neck, the fine arching sweep of his tail, his tiara of 

 comb, and the proud round sweep of his breast, for every boy has 

 seen and admired him many a time and oft. 



GAME FOWLS 



are not set so much store by now as they were in the brutal days of 

 cock-fighting, bull and badger-baiting, all of which cruel and dis- 

 graceful recreations, or sports, as they were wrongfully called, have 

 passed away. The game-cock, especially the red, is a gorgeous bird, 

 and beautifully formed, and so brave, if thorough-bred, that he will 

 never run, but fight till he dies, and even in the death struggle 

 try to lift up his armed heel or peck at his conqueror. 



DORKING FOWLS 



are well-known Surrey birds, valued most when of a pure white, and 

 readily known through having five claws on each foot. They not 

 only lay splendid eggs, but have quite a pleasant appearance when 

 either boiled or roasted, the " sniff" of which is delightful to a 

 hungry boy, who, forgetting all about their plumage, seizes his knife 

 and fork and defaces their neat anatomy, without having even the 

 courtesy to say "by your leave." They are among the largest of 

 our common poultry. 



THE BANTAM, 



or DWARF COCK, is the smallest of all gallinaceous birds, but in pug- 

 nacity and pluck is equal to most, as it will fight to the last with one 

 much larger and more powerful than itself. Its tiny size, pretty 

 plumage, and high-spirited bearing, as it struts 



" Royal as a prince is in his hall," 



have made it a very general favourite, and caused its elevation to 

 the rank of a fancy bird. The rules respecting the colours and 

 sorting of the feathers, general carriage, and other properties, as 

 settled by fanciers, are the following: For colours, nankeen and 

 black are the most prized ; if the bird is of the first colour, the edges 

 of his feathers should be black, tail feathers black, breast feathers 

 black with white edges, wings barred with purple, and his hackles 

 or neck feathers slightly tinged with purple ; and if 0f the second 

 colour, no feathers of any tint should break the uniform yellow tone; 



F 



