TABLE POULTRY. 83 



that even after such an operation, a chicken will sometimes 

 run and flutter about all over a yard, is a simple proof that 

 such " reflex " muscular action does not necessarily denote 

 suffering when fowls are killed in other ways. 



For supplying the market, things have to be more 

 methodically considered and carried out, as condition and 

 appearance have more influence than anything else upon 

 the prices realised for table poultry. Considering the 

 most general points first, and whatever crosses may be 

 employed, great judgment in selecting the breeding birds 

 is required to produce a really good table fowl. Though not 

 quite everything, a good and well-developed breast is the 

 chief object to aim at ; and it may be well to point out in 

 what a good breast consists ; for this does not always seem 

 well understood, embracing as it does at least three distinct 

 qualities. 



i . A good breast must be deep, especially in front. On 

 this depends the breadth of the slices cut from it. In- 

 ternally, this quality depends upon depth of the keel of the 

 breast-bone ; externally, it is marked by the fowl appearing, 

 when looked at sideways, as deep through the body at the 

 shoulders as behind. This is true, although the contour 

 may be widely different. For instance, in the ideal contour 

 of a Dorking, the equal depth at shoulders is seen at once, 

 in the general resemblance of the body to a parallelogram. 

 No such square form can be seen in a Game fowl, whose 

 breast shows a beautiful curve. But it will be seen that a 

 well-shaped Game fowl's body is much like a fir-cone in 

 figure, the thick end representing the shoulders ; hence the 

 greatest depth is still through the shoulders and breast. 

 The same is true of the pheasant, and of every good table 

 fowl. An application of this simple rule will show the 

 serious deficiency of many Langshans upheld as the u true 

 type " by some injudicious writers. 



