BILKiliS. 201 



The cock should weigli six or seven and the hen five or six 

 pounds. 



Dumpies certainly deserve to be better known. They have 

 no particular faults, and, combining as they do very fair laying 

 with great hardiness and first-class edible qualities, they must 

 be considered decidedly profitable fowls. They also make 

 splendid sitters for small and valuable eggs. Their general 

 resemblance to Courtes Pattes (described 011 page 195) will not 

 fail to be remarked. 



SILKIES. This fowl has a class at some shows. It possesses 

 two distinct peculiarities. The webs of the feathers do not 

 cling together as in other breeds, but hang loose as silky or 

 woolly fibres, which makes the bird appear much larger than 

 it really is, the actual weight of the cock being generally about 

 three pounds, and of the hen about two pounds. The colour is 

 usually pure white, but black and other colours are occasionally 

 seen. The second peculiarity is the dark tint of the bones and 

 skin, from which the name of " negro " fowls is derived. The 

 skin is of a very dark violet colour, approaching to black, even 

 the comb and wattles being a dark purple, and the face a livid 

 blue. The bones are also covered with a nearly black mem- 

 brane, which makes the fowl anything but pleasant to look at 

 ui>on the table ; but if the natural repugnance to this can be 

 overcome, the meat itself is white and very good eating, indeed 

 superior to that of many other breeds. 



The comb should be rose, but is seldom very good in shape. 

 There is also a crest on the top of the head standing rather up. 

 The legs are feathered with silky feathers, and have five toes ; 

 they are black, or rather blue in colour. The leg-feathering 

 is peculiarly apt to drop off in the show-pen, or after washing ; 

 and as it is one of the points in judging, this makes winning 

 with Silkies very much a matter of speculation. 



The chief value of the Silky fowl is as a mother to Bantam, 

 or other small and delicate chickens, such as pheasants or 



