VARIETIES OF DOMESTIC FOWL. 69 



very small ; tails, extremely large. They are a species of the 

 ' Game," and their flesh, therefore, is very fine and well fla- 

 vored. They are the best layers of all the " Game Fowl," 

 and their eggs are rich and savory. In size they are medium, 

 and in form most symmetrical. They may be classed with the 

 most valuable fowls. The pure bloods are very rare. I have 

 but few. 



The fowl represented above is in my possession, and is a 

 great favorite, not only on account of its real worth, but of its 

 ornamental appearance. The weight is about the same as that 

 of the Spanish Game. 



The following information, derived from Mr. Dickson's book, 

 may not be without practical use to those who have or esteem 

 other varieties of game fowls : 



" Sportsmen who breed game cocks for fighting have numer- 

 ous named varieties, such as piles, black-reds, silver-breasted 

 ducks, birchin ducks, dark grays, mealy grays, blacks, span- 

 gles, furnaces, pole-cats, cuckoos, gingers, duns, red duns, 

 smoky duns, among all of which, according to Sketchley, good 

 birds may be found ; but he thinks the following eight are supe- 

 rior to any others, namely, dark reds, dark black-breasted reds, 

 dark black-breasted birchin ducks, dark black-breasted berry 

 birchins, silver black-breasted duck-wing grays, clear mealy 

 grays, dark black-breasted grays, and red duns. 



The Mealy Gray, which maybe ranked next in value to the 

 true dark gray, originated from the black and mealy white, and 

 has been the produce selected from those whose feathers were 

 nearest to the mealy white, slightly tinged and shaded with 

 black. These have been bred in and in, and established the 

 mealy gray ; and from those of darker varieties have nearly all 

 our grays originated. The hen's color will, in general, pre- 

 vail wonderfully more than the cock's. 



