242 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



DUMPIES, OR CREEPERS. This is a local Scotch breed; 

 and has long been known under such names as Bakies, Go 

 Laighs, etc., but is now getting rather uncommon. It has 

 never been much valued in England. The principal char- 

 acteristic is the extreme shortness of the shank, or leg 

 bone, which should not exceed two inches from the hock- 

 joint to the ground. In other respects they most resemble 

 Dorkings, lacking, however, the fifth toe, and being more 

 hardy than that variety. The hens are fair layers of rather 

 large eggs, and as mothers cannot be surpassed. The 

 plumage is generally an irregular speckle, and it is difficult 

 to get them any uniform colour. The cock should weigh 

 6 or 7 and the hen 5 or 6 Ib. 



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 on 

 page 226) 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 3 Ib. and of the hen 

 about 2 Ib. 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 blac'c 



