64 THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 



handsome; the cock having golden hackles, and gold 

 and brown feathers on the back ; breast and wings 

 richly spotted with ochre and dark-brown ; tail darker ; 

 large golden and brown crest, falling back over the 

 neck ; but little comb and wattles. The hen is richly 

 laced with dark-brown or black on an ochre ground ; 

 dark-spotted crest ; legs light- blue, very cleanly made, 

 and displaying a small web between the toes, almost as 

 proportionally large as that in some of the aquatic birds 

 called " waders." They are good layers, and produce 

 fair-sized eggs. Many of them make excellent mothers, 

 although you cannot always get them to sit early in the 

 season. The chicks are rather clumsy-looking little 

 animals, of a dingy brown, with some dashes of ochre 

 about the head, breast, and wings. They are sometimes 

 a little apt to die in the first week of their existence, but 

 afterwards get tolerably hardy, although liable to make 

 a stand-still when about half grown. 



It has been observed as a peculiarity in the temper of 

 this breed, that if you catch one of them, or if one 

 is attacked by any animal, the rest, whether cocks 

 or hens, will instantly attack the aggressor with fury, 

 and endeavor to rescue their unfortunate companion. 



The Silver Polands are similar to the preceding in 

 shape and markings, except that white, black, and grey, 

 are exchanged for ochre or yellow, and various shades 

 of brown. They are even more delicate in their con- 

 stitution, more liable to remain fixed at a certain point 

 of their growth, and still more require and will repay 

 extra care and accommodation. Their topknots are not, 

 perhaps, in general, so large ; but they retain the same 

 neat, bluish legs and slightly-webbed feet. It is curious 

 that a bird which is quite incapable of swimming should 

 have webs on its feet, while the gallinule, which swims 

 and dives well, has none. 



The hens of the silver Polands are much more orna- 

 mental than the cocks ; though even they are sure to 

 attract notice. They may certainly be ranked among 

 the choicest of fowls, whether we consider their beauty 

 or their rarity. They lay moderate-sized, French-white 



