t)i>i POULTRt. 121 



erly, Allen W. Dodge, of Hamilton, R. P. Waters, of Beverly, and 

 John H. Brookhouse, of Salem,) have found this breed excellent 

 layers, and good fowls in all respects. 



IV. The Polish Fowl. 



Mr. Richardson speaks of three sub-varieties of the Polish Fowl. 



1st. The Spangled Polish, " a bird of extraordinary beauty, and 

 extremely scarce." 



2d. The black fowl, with a white tuft on the crown. 



3d. A variety, which he says " is the most pure and unmixed of 

 the three. Its color is a brilliant white, with a jet-black top-knot. 

 I have never myself seen a specimen of the breed, and have every 

 reason to suppose it extinct, or nearly so. 



The second variety, the black fowl with a white tuft on the crown, 

 is well known to farmers, and is justly considered a valuable breed. 

 These fowls are excellent layers, and seldom inclined to sit ; in or- 

 der, however, to insure their laying well in winter, they must be 

 kept warm. The chickens, when young, are delicate, and much 

 ■affected by the changes of the weather. Mr. Richardson speaks of 

 "" these birds as having been brought from St. Jago by the Span« 

 iards, to whom they owe their first introduction into Europe. Their 

 color is a shining black, and both cock and hen have the white top- 

 knot." 



V. TIlb Cochin China Foivl, 



'Of this fowl Mr. Richardson says : 



" This gigantic bird has been only v^ry recently introduced into 

 Great Britain, and it is to that Royal Patroness of poultry fanciers, 

 the nature-loving Victoria, that we owe its addition to our stock of 

 domestic fowls. This variety of fowl so far surpasses, both in size 

 and power, all that we have ever yet seen in the shape of poultry, 

 as to have led many persons not conversant with Eoology, on first 

 viewing them, to refer them to the family of Bustards. They are, 

 however, genuine poultry. Their general color is rich, glossy brown, 

 deep bay ; on the breast is a marking of a blackish color, and of the 

 shape of a horse-shoe ; the comb is of a medium size, serrated, but 

 not deeply so, and the wattles are double. Besides their gigantic 

 Size, however, these fowl possess other distinctive characteristics, 

 among which I may mention, as the most striking, that the wing is 

 jointed, so that the posterior half can. at pleasure, be doubled up, 



