FLORIDA rOULTRY. 275 



dan family, as sometimes a serious detriment to these val- 

 uable fowls. 



If it were an evil beyond remedy we would pass it over, 

 just as we all are compelled to do with insurmountable 

 obstacles as we trudge along life's pathway ; but it is not. 

 The objectionable toe may be cut off with scarcely any pain 

 to the bird while it is very small, and if an antiseptic be 

 employed, and the chick be kept in a perfectly clean coop 

 for four or five days, the cut will heal without trouble and 

 the patient be saved from many a "scrape" into which the 

 fifth toe would be sure to lead it. 



From our trio of Houdans we set several nests (they 

 themselves never set, as every one knows), and hatched 

 out fifty or more fine, healthy chicks. These, and as many 

 Brahmas, were as pretty a sight for a primitive Florida 

 poultry-yard as one would wish to look upon. 



But — there was a but, you see! — we had just settled; 

 were unable at once to fence in all our outlying woods, so 

 that the picketed chicken-yard abutted on the open range 

 which was haunted by a "bunch" of Florida's worst curse, 

 razor-backs, which ever "go about seeking what they can 

 devour," of most positive and serious detriment to ninety- 

 nine people, of very little value to the hundredth, their 

 owner. Thank Heaven ! their days are swiftly passing by ; 

 and good thoroughbred hogs are taking their place. 



Well , these free rangers haunted the line of our chicken- 

 yard fence, where our valuable chicks, with the well-known 

 perversity of chicken nature (which, by the way, is won- 

 derfully human), would push their way through to the 

 uninviting, unknown country beyond. The result was that 

 we noticed that our chicks were fast diminishing in num- 

 ber ; but some time elapsed before, not being versed in the 

 lawless ways of the freest and most perfectly protected 

 of all Florida's citizens, we laid the disappearance to the 



