BRED AS AND LA BRESS&. 22$ 



BREDAS OR GUELDRES. This fowl is of exceedingly well- 

 proportioned shape, with a wide, full, prominent breast. 

 The head carries a small top-knot, and surmounts a rather 

 short, thick neck. The comb is very peculiar, being 

 hollowed or depressed in the centre, which gives to the 

 head a most singular expression. Cheeks and ear-lobes red ; 

 wattles ditto, and in the cock very long and pendulous. 



The thighs are well furnished and slightly hocked, and 

 the shanks of the legs feathered to the toes, though not very 

 heavily. The plumage varies ; black, white, and cuckoo or 

 mottled being mostly seen. The cuckoo-coloured are known 

 exclusively by the name of " Gueldres," and the black bear 

 chiefly the name of Bredas ; but it is much to be desired 

 that one name should be given to the whole class, with 

 simply a 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 others prefer 

 the cuckoo or Gueldres fowl. This is quite a matter of 

 fancy, all the colours being alike in economic qualities. 



The flesh is excellent and tolerably plentiful, very large 

 cocks weighing as much as 8 or 9 Ibs. 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. 



LA BRESSE. This fowl is hardy and large,* but we 

 cannot consider it as a distinct or established breed. The 

 birds are all colours without distinction, presenting exactly 



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

 our "gross ignorance of French fowls" was said to be proved by thus 

 describing as "large" the La Bresse race, which it was categorically 

 affirmed were, on the contrary, "much smaller" than the preceding. We 

 made the statement originally after actually weighing a cock over 10 Ib. as 

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

 P 



