cocniw-OHiirA fowl.] 



POULTRY. 



[tiIU MALAY KOWL. 



off their nests, put thorn down on the floor, 

 and left them, only to find them hours after in 

 the siune spot, and in preoiaely the aamo acci- 

 dental posture, like dead thingn, as I left 

 them. Tiiey are the sweetest, gcntloat, and 

 most rational of irrational niothera. The 

 chicks are hardy and 'fendible' — a very excel- 

 lent Yorkshire word, with which the next 

 edition of Johnson may bo enriched. It is a 

 Tery, very rare occurrence for one to die, or to 

 be weakly. The soft and warm flulTiness of 

 the hens makes their brooding most eliectivo. 



"I may add that they are most conformable 

 creatures in this, as in most other respects. 

 They will sit wherever you wish to place them. 

 One winter, about the beginning of January, 

 I diverted some hens from this purpose for a 

 week or two ; in February, they became again 

 hroody, while the weather was yet untoward. 

 I brought them from their laying-nests in the 

 poultry- house, and placed them on eggs in 

 cupboards in my kitchen. They then sat, 

 batched, and got through the chickenhood of 

 their ofispring as kindly as could be. It was 

 a subject of mirthful observation to my 

 household, that the same hens, when again, in 

 May or June, they became prone to multiply, 

 bounced up, in profound fussiness and impor- 

 tance, to the kitchen, and demanded, by peck- 

 ing at and opening tho door that stood ajar, 

 admittance to their comfortable winter quar- 

 ters. They were, unresistingly, put on eggs 

 in a new place ; but, as that was not far from 

 the kitchen door, they sometimes repaired, 

 after their periodical recreations, to the old 

 and favoured, instead of their new locality, of 

 •which they only needed a gentle memento to 

 resume their maternal duties. I have spoken 

 of the rarity of a weakly chicken ; and I add, 

 that I do not remember ever to have lost one, 

 except by some such death as the mother 

 treading on it, or a door blowing-to, and killing 

 one. 



" Talle Qualities. — Since writing the above 

 jots of experience, I have sat down to a young 

 Cochin-China, or Shanghae chicken. It was a 

 deformed bird, though otherwise very hand- 

 some, and therefore condemned. Its weight, 

 ready for spit, was only 5} lbs., but of fine ap- 

 pearance, sent up turkey-wise. The quality 

 of the meat was better than I expected. Still, 

 its flesh must be pronounced coarse in fibre, 

 5 o 



compared with tho old breeds of poultry. 

 There was great whiteness, plumpness, and 

 juiciness— tho substance as beuf to veal, or as 

 codfish to turbot— not denying that both tho 

 antecedents in tho contrasts aro excellent 

 eating. Tho legs were, ajjparently, of whiter 

 meat, and moro delicate consistency, than is 

 usual with tho legs of chickens or of turkeys. 

 It will bo obvious, hence, that I do not con- 

 sider their table-excellence unsurpassable or 

 unsurpassetl." 



In judging these birds, another amateur 

 suggests tho consideration of the following 

 points : — 



Head. — Beak to harmonise with colour. — Eyes red 

 {ptarl rye too Malay likt).—Comh single, small, 

 straight, evenly serrated, fine in texture, and 

 free from excrescences. — Earlobe in cock, red, 

 full, and long ; in hen, small. — Face, red. 



Body. — Very square ; j'. e., broad and deep in the 

 keel, with abundance of thick, soft plumage, 

 giving breadth behind ; short neck. 



Tail. — Remarkably short; in colour harmonising 

 with that of the bird; almost buried in long 

 loose feathers. 



Wi7ig. — Folded up very close, so as to leave the 

 fluff of the thigh standing out full. 



Legs. — Yellow, and heavily feathered. 



Colour of Chinese Fowls. 



Cinnainoji. — Cock and hen both to be cinnamon, 

 and, as far as may be, to agree in shade; liackle 

 marking nothing deeper than a golden tinge ; 

 absence of black in tail and flight, a beauty; 

 colour throughout of a uniform shade. 



Buff. — Cock and hen to agree in shade to a great 

 degree ; marking on neck-hackle to be tolerated 

 in hens ; tail, colour of plumage, or mixed with 

 black ; plumage clear, unflecked, and to agree in 

 shade throughout. 



Gruusc. — Very dark ; each feather a mixture of 

 rich brown and black, as in a pheasant. Breast 

 and tail of the cock, black [accordiny to tne 

 Dublin amateurs'] ; hackle richly marked. In 

 the hen, breast like a pheasant. 



Partridge. — Dark ; the plumage of the hen a minute 

 mossing. Cock with black-spangled breast, and 

 dark-red hackles. 



Blade. — Pure deep black ; no coloured feathers. 



White. — Pure and clear white ; no foul feathers. 



Cuckoo, or Grey Shanyhae. — All the plumage evenly 

 ])encilled, clear grey ; no mixture of red or yellow 

 tinge. 



THE MAL.\Y FOWL. 

 IMalays are a tall race of birds, of high ceurage, 

 excellent nurses and incub.itors of other spe- 

 cies, but moderate layers themselves, and not 

 easy to fatten to a fleshy state. The name of 

 this fowl implies that it is a native of the 



833 



