226 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



the appearance 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 there is tolerable evidence that English 

 Dorkings have several times been crossed on their own 

 stock by the La Bresse farmers. 



COURTES PATTES. At the Paris Show of 1878 the 

 reporter of the Live Stock Journal gave the first English 

 description of these fowls. They are black, with single 

 combs, and extremely short legs. They sit well, and were 

 said to have been produced by the La Fleche breeders in 

 order to hatch their non-sitting varieties. They were also 

 said never to scratch in a garden. Some months later 

 specimens were imported by Mr. Christy, but the last 

 characteristic was found not to hold good, at least in 

 English gardens. They are hardy, good layers, and good 

 in flesh, but do not seem to breed very true in colour and 

 some other points. The extremely short legs gives them a 

 quaint appearance, and are the most characteristic point. 



FAVEROLLES. The village of Faverolles, in the Houdan 

 district, has given its name to the last really important 

 breed produced in France, unknown before about 1885, 



in his 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 as follows : 



La Bresse. Houdan. Crevecoeur. 

 Ib. oz. lb. oz. Ib. oz. 



Unprepared 6 \\ ... 54 ... 4 11 



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



Cooked 3 3! ... 2 15! ... 2 12^ 



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

 lessly brought against us. 



