CAPONISING FOWLS. 253 



the act of extracting a precious stone from the liver of 

 a capon. "The Allectorius," says the author, "is a 

 stone like a crystal, or limpid water. It is found in 

 the liver of a capon at the age of three years. It is 

 never larger than a bean. After this stone is formed 

 in the capon, he never drinks." The Ortus Sanitatis 

 further informs us that ladies, who wear the jewel 

 Allectorius, are sure to be pleasing in the eyes of their 

 husbands. 



Aldrovandi tells us that in capons, which were more 

 the fashion in his day than they are now, the hackle, 

 the tail feathers, and the spurs grew to a much greater 

 length than in cocks. 



In England, the art of making capons, it seems, is 

 no new thing, as the business of which formerly de- 

 volved upon females ; for old Leonard Mascall, in his 

 minute directions for the operation, uses the femi- 

 nine gender throughout. 



MODE OF MAKING CAPONS AND POULARDES. 



IF young cocks are emasculated, so as to deprive 

 them of their natural reproductive feelings, it has a 

 wonderful effect on their condition, rendering them 

 also more easy to fatten. They are never afterwards 

 subject to the natural process of moulting, and lose 

 their previous strong shrill voice. They become dull 

 and melancholy, are detested by the hens, buffeted 

 about by the other cocks, and would soon fall victims 

 to their enmity, were they not removed to perform the 

 remaining business of their lives, " to eat, drink, 

 sleep, and get fat," with all possible expedition. In 

 this state, they are called " capons." 



In a similar manner, young pullets may be capon- 

 ised, so as to deprive them of their reproductive pow- 

 ers, and render them more easy to fatten. When thus 

 operated upon, they are usually, though improperly, 

 termed "hen capons," but the French word, " pou- 

 larde," is much to be preferred. 



