58 



which have their friends and admirers in this country, such as White, Black, 

 Gray, Dark Gray and Piles of all colors, but those considered of most merit 

 by breeders are given in their order. 



PILE GAME. The plumage of these fowls should have a proportion of 

 white as one of its compound colors. The cocks of all the various strains 

 of Piles are red and white, yellow and white, in one or other of the shades 

 of those colors. The best Piles are bred by crossing red and white game, 

 but may also be bred from a Pile cock and Pile hens. Some of the best and 

 purest may be bred from a Spangled cock and White hen. The object of the 

 breeder, particularly of show birds, should be to get the colors of the cocks 

 as distinct and as brilliant as possible. 



THE BOLTON GRAYS. 



This breed of fowls derives its name from having first been successfully 

 raised in and near Bolton, England. They are now found in almost all large 

 poultry-yards in America, as well as in Europe. They are also know r n in some 

 parts of the United States as the Creole fowl, from the mottled appearance 

 of the hen, whose every feather is delicately marked with alternate bands of 

 black and white, legs and feet a light blue, and very short. The neck-hackle 

 is white. The cock's plumage is different from the above in many respects, 

 his feathers being nearly white. His tail is black, and legs and feet the color 

 of those of the hen, but are much longer. In weight he is less than the hen. 

 Those of our own raising weigh about five pounds to the hen, and about 

 three and a half or four pounds to the cock. One singular peculiarity of the 

 hens of this breed is that they are furnished with spurs over an inch in length, 

 while those of the cock are much shorter. The Bolton Grays begin laying 

 early in February, and continue throughout the year. If well fed, they will 

 lay all the year round. Their eggs are below the average size ; but what 

 they lack in size is made up in number. As a breed, they are exceedingly 

 hardy, and thrive where many breeds would perish. They are not good sit- 

 ters, and their eggs must be set under some other fowl. They are never 

 inclined to wander away from their coops. 



THE BLACK SPANISH. 



This is one of our best black breeds of fowls, laying as they do a large 

 sized and meaty egg. The cock should carry himself very stately and up- 

 right, the breast well projecting, and thtfe tail standing well up. The sickle- 

 feathers should be perfect and fully developed, and the whole plumage a 

 dense jet black, with glossy reflections in the light. The hen should be 

 equally dense in color, but is much less glossy. Any white or speckled 

 feathers, which now and then occur, are fatal faults. The legs should be 

 blue, or dark lead-color; any approach to white is decidedly bad. The legs 

 of both sexes are long, but the fowl should nevertheless be plump and heavy. 

 The comb must be large in both sexes, and of a bright vermillion color. 

 That of the hen should fall completely over on one side ; but the cock's comb 



