230 SKETCHES OF RURAL AFFAIRS. 



white or mottled fowl, distinguished by having five 

 claws, short-legged, and an excellent layer ; the Poland 

 fowl, black-feathered, with white tufts on the heads of 

 both cock and hen, a most useful variety on account of 

 the number of eggs they lay, but they are bad sitters ; 

 the Dunghill fowl, a common and useful breed, the best 

 of which are of middle size, and dark colour, with white 

 and clean legs ; the Game fowl, a variety with beautiful 

 plumage, tender and delicate flesh, and slender, well- 

 formed limbs ; the Bantam, a well-known small breed, 

 originally from India, and delicate in its flesh ; and the 

 Ghittagong or Malay, a large Indian variety, laying 

 large eggs, but having coarse yellow flesh. These and 

 many other varieties are in request among poultry 

 fanciers. 



The young birds, if females, are called chickens for 

 the first four months ; afterwards pullets, until they 

 begin to lay, when they become hens. The male birds 

 are chickens until three months old, after which they 

 are called cock-birds till the age of twelve months, when 

 they are considered as full-grown cocks. The plumage 

 of very young birds is not always a guide to the colour 

 of the same birds when full-grown. There is much 

 variety and considerable beauty in the colours and 

 markings of our domestic fowls, especially when the 

 birds are well kept, and in fine health. There is a 

 freshness and gloss about the plumage of such birds, 

 quite different from the aspect of fowls that are neglected 

 as to cleanliness and diet. The plumage of the cock 

 is generally very handsome, beautifully pencilled, and 

 reflecting in the sun's rays a brightness of colouring 

 almost equalling the splendour of tropical birds. Some- 

 times instances occur of remarkable changes of colouring 

 after moulting. Reaumur, the naturalist, describes a 

 cock whose plumage was for the first year ruddy brown 

 mixed with white, as is common in dunghill cocks ; in 

 the second year he was of reddish brown all over, 

 without any white ; in the third year he became uui- 



