194 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF POULTRY. 



prefix to denote the colour. We prefer ourselves the black 

 variety, the plumage of which is beautifully deep and rich in 

 tone, with a bronze lustre ; but Mr. F. Schroder, who thought 

 highly of the breed, preferred the cuckoo or Gueldres fowl. This 

 is quite a matter of fancy, all the colours being alike in 

 economic qualities. 



Tho flesh is excellent and tolerably plentiful, very large 

 cocks weighing as much as eight or nine pounds. They are 

 good layers, and the eggs are large ; as in most other French 

 breeds, the hens do not sit. The chickens are hardy, and the 

 breed is decidedly useful and well adapted to the English 

 climate. 



LA BRESSE. This fowl is hardy and large,* but we cannot 

 consider it as a iistinct or established breed. The birds are 

 all colours without distinction, presenting exactly the appear- 

 ance of very large and fine barn-door or cross-bred fowls ; and 

 we believe that it is, in fact, no breed, but a mixture of fine 

 specimens of different races. We have, in fact, never seen any 

 reason to modify this opinion, formed many years ago ; and 



* In a very hostile review of the first edition of this work, in the 

 Field, of the poultry department in which Mr. Tegetmeier advertises 

 himself as editor, our "gross ignorance of French fowls" was said to be 

 proved hy thus describing as " large " the La Bresse race. We made 

 the statement originally after actually weighing a cock over lOlbs. as he 

 ran in his pen ; but it also happens that Mr. Tegetmeier has since given 

 in his own revised edition of the " Poultry Book " a table of the average 

 weights at the exhibition of dead poultry in Paris in 1864. These weights 

 are given .is follows : 



La Bresse. Houdan. Crevecoeur. 

 Ibs. oz. Ibs. oz. Ibs. oz. 



Unprepared 6 l ... 54 ... 4 11 



Prepared for Cook 6 5 ... 43 ... 3 14 



Cooked 3 3f ... 2 lof ... 2 12 



The average was taken from five birds each, and shows that of all these 

 three breeds the La Bresse were the heaviest. A reference by the 

 editor to his own figures might, therefore, have otherwise directed the 

 charge so recklessly brought against this work. 



