SILKIES AND FRIZZLES. 243 



membrane, which makes the fowl anything but pleasant to 

 look at upon 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 partridges. For such purposes they are 

 unequalled, the loose long plumage affording the most 

 perfect shelter possible ; and another useful point is that a 

 full nest of eggs will usually tempt the bird to sit within a 

 few days at any time. They are, of course, peculiarly sus- 

 ceptible to cold or wet, and have little other value than 

 that stated, except from their singular and not un- 

 ornamental appearance. 



There is an occasional silky sport from the ordinary 

 Cochin fowl. The plumage resembles that of the preceding 

 variety ; but in every other point the fowl is a true-bred 

 Cochin. The loose feathering being no real protection 

 from wet, this breed, like the other, is delicate in our 

 climate. 



FRIZZLED FOWLS present a most remarkable appearance, 

 every feather in good specimens being curved, or turned 

 back from the body, so as to show a portion of the under 

 side, like the curved feathers in the tail of a common drake. 



