THE HAMBUEGH.] 



POULTET. 



[the hambtjegh. 



their ground. The weak either perish, or 

 are speedily destroyed, whilst the strong be- 

 come fierce and pugnacious. The sheep and 

 the ox become the prey of the dog and the 

 wolf; whilst the garden-flower, renouncing 

 the dress and habits of its artificial home, as- 

 sumes those of the daughters of the field. 

 All change. The bond which bound them 

 together has been broken. The alliance has 

 ceased between them ; and the sweet flavour 



and beautiful exterior of the products of the 

 orchard, are assailed by a democratic aggression 

 of thorns and brambles. In this struggle they 

 either perish, or preserve their place only by 

 becoming as rude and as coarse as their 

 neiglibours. The crab, the sloe, and the weed 

 may remain ; but the fragrant apple, the 

 luscious plum, and the curded cauliflower, are 

 to be found no longer. Vicissitude has be- 

 come the rule. 



CHAPTER II. 



THE DOMESTIC FOWL AND ITS VAKIETIES ; THE HAMBURGH; DOHKING; GAME FOWL ; SPANISH; POLISH; 

 COCHIN-CHINA; MALAY; BANTAMS; RUMPLES; SILKY; NEGRO AND FRIZZLED; SCOTCH BAKIES; 

 BOLTON GREYS ; PARIS SHOW. 



THE HAMBURGH. 



In treating of the varieties of our domestic 

 fowl, we will confine ourselves to such as may 

 be deemed the most suitable for the collection 

 of the amateur ; and, where we can, endeavour 

 to indicate their points of excellence according 

 to the opinions of the best authorities. The 

 first that we shall treat of are the Hamburgh 

 fowls, which all partake of one common type, 

 and which are remarkable for the beauty and 

 purity of their distinct races. They are very 

 fertile in producing eggs ; are of moderate 

 size ; excellent table birds, but are non-setters. 

 There are said to be thirteen points in a 

 Hamburgh ; but one of the most successful 

 breeders of this kind of fowl, says—" That he 

 never yet saw a bird possessed of the thirteen 

 points which some of the Lancashire breeders 

 say a good Hamburgh ought to have. In the 

 silver-spangled variety the cock should have 

 large white ear-lobes ; a well-formed, compact 

 comb, nicely pointed; breast regularly span- 

 gled ; back and hackle white ; tail white, with 

 perfect spangle at the end of each feather; 

 legs slate-coloured ; eye large ; cariiage erect. 

 The hen should be one mass of spangles— the 

 back spangled as perfectly as the breast ; tail 

 white, with spangles at the end ; hackle span- 

 gled or Inced ; legs, comb, &c., the same as the 

 811, 



cock. The ground-colour of both must bo 

 pure white, neither muddy nor splashed. 

 In the Northern and Midland counties, Ham- 

 burghs, both gold and silver, are more exten- 

 sively reared, and more highly prized, than 

 all the other varieties of fowl put together ; 

 although their constitution is considered, by 

 many, to be less robust or hardy than 

 that of some other breeds. In the pen- 

 cilled, the cock should have comb and ear- 

 lobes like those of the spangled ; body (of tho 

 golden) a rich gold colour, with tail nicely 

 bronzed. The hens pencilled from the hackle 

 to the end of the tail ; hackle of a clear gold- 

 colour ; comb, eyes, legs, &c., same as cocks." 



The points considered necessary by the 

 Lancashire breeders, are thus given in the 

 Eev. W. W. AViugfield's Poultry book:— 

 Cumb. — Best double ; best square ; best piked 



behind. 

 Eni-s.- — Largest and whitest. 

 iVc'c/w— Streaked with green black in middle of 



feather, fringed with gold at the edges. 

 Breast. — Largest moons ; brightest green black, 



free from being tipped with white or red at the 



end of the moon ; clear red from moon to bottom 



colour. 

 Back. — Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto. 

 Rump. — Ditto, ditto, ditto, ditto. 

 7f7/i.y.— Four points :— 1st, bow: bright green, 



black, and clear red. 2nd, bars : two distinct 



bars, formed by largest, clearest, brightest, greea 



