FBEKCH rOWLS.] 



POULTET. 



[feexch fo^ls. 



mation from a "stout party," that she considered 

 his pen of fowls very fine, and could imagine 

 nothing better than a fricassee of his fowls ! 



In describing the most remarkable breeds of 

 poultry at this exhibition, the reporter begins 

 with the first named in the catalogue, as it is 

 an acknowledged French breed, and is called — 



" The Oreve-cceurs. — I tried hard to discover 

 the real merits and characteristics of this fowl," 

 he says, " but obtained different and very dif- 

 fering accounts. All my informants, however, 

 were agreed on one point — viz., that they were 

 the best sort of fowl for the table that they 

 had in France. This, however, is not saying 

 much, for we know that the French raise large 

 numbers of every kind of poultry for the mar- 

 ket ; they are not over-particular as to quality, 

 or the appearance a bird presents on the table. 

 It is seldom (very, very seldom indeed) that 

 an entire bird is placed before you : it is 

 either hashed, smashed, pulled, fricasseed, or 

 smothered and smuggled into you in some way ; 

 so that often nine persona out of ten would 

 not be up to what they were eating. This 

 fowl has, however, by no means a badly- shaped 

 body ; it is long and low, and not very narrow. 

 They gave me an idea of coarseness, yet I have 

 no doubt they are hardy, useful birds in their 

 own country ; but their rusty-black feathers, 

 and smutty legs and feet, are anything but 

 pleasing to the eye ; nor do I, in any way, com- 

 mend them to the notice of the English 

 amateur. No two Frenchmen could agree 

 upon what their shape or plumage ought to be ; 

 and the birds, in their pens, differed very widely 

 in form and feather. At the same time, we 

 could not but admire them in all their charac- 

 teristics, which were not of a common order, 

 and which called forth general approbation. 



" TJie CoeJiin-Ohinas were divided into five 

 classes — viz., yellow, white, black, brown, or 

 freckled, and those not classed in the above 

 descriptions. The cinnamon and buffs are, by 

 common consent, called yellow in France ; and 

 it was not at all considered necessary that tlie 

 birds should be matched. Nothing was more 

 842 



common than to see prize pens composed of a 

 cock and two or more hens of quite difierent 

 colours. The rule is, that there must be one 

 cock, and not less than two hens, in a pen ; but 

 as many more as the exhibitor pleases. 



" There are very few Frenchmen who have 

 as yet discovered the value of the Dorkings. 

 We trust they will allow them a fair trial, and 

 have no doubt they will acknowledge their 

 many excellences. The first-prize pen was 

 greatly admired for the size and beauty of the 

 birds. 



" "We now come to the Breda fowls. "What 

 are they ? you will ask. "Why, it appeared to 

 me that they were no-breed-at-all fowls. This 

 would certainly apply more reasonably to the 

 birds I saw exhibited under the former name ; 

 for of all the jumbles I ever beheld, this was 

 the most complete. There were some with 

 tufts, and some without ; some like Silver- 

 pencilled Hamburgs, and some like cross-bred 

 Cuckoos, and so on. I actually did not stop 

 to see who had the honour of the prizes, but 

 passed on to the 



" Bralimas. — This breed has been greatly 

 prized in France. ]\ir. Baker had a compli- 

 ment paid him that few can boast of, and of 

 which he might well have been proud. His 

 birds in this class were so good that three 

 first prizes were awarded to him. One of the 

 pens, containing the handsomest cock of the 

 kind I ever saw, he sold for 1,000 francs ; and 

 another, I understood, was marked out for the 

 empress. For my part, I never wish to see 

 better fowls than those brought to the exhibi- 

 tion by Mr. Baker, and I heartily congratulate 

 him on his success. 



" The other classes of fowls were not well 

 represented. I shall, therefore, abstain from 

 any remarks. 



" The Turheys were not very fine. 



" For Geese there were only four com- 

 petitors. 



" The Ayleshury BucTcs were good ; but the 

 Bouen Ducks were not the truest of their 

 kind." 



