122 Polands. 



The top-knot of the cock should be composed of straight 

 feathers, growing from the centre of the crown, and falling 

 over outside, but not so much as to intercept the sight, 

 and form a circular crest. That of the hen should be 

 formed of feathers growing out and turning in at the 

 extremity, so as to resemble a cauliflower, and it should be 

 even, firm, and as nearly round as possible. Large, 

 uneven top-knots composed of loose feathers do not equal 

 smaller but firm and well-shaped crests. The white ear- 

 lobe is essential in all the varieties. 



" Beards " in Polands were formerly not admired. 

 Among the early birds brought from the continent, not 

 one in a hundred was bearded, and those that were so were 

 often rejected, and it was a question of dispute whether 

 the pure bird should have them or not. Bearded birds at 

 shows were the exceptions, but an unbearded pen of Polands 

 is now seldom or ever seen. 



There was formerly a breed of White, with black top- 

 knots, but that is lost, although it seems to have been not 

 only the most ornamental, but the largest and most valu- 

 able of all the Polish varieties. The last specimen known 

 was seen by Mr. Brent at St. Omer in 1854, and it is 

 possible that the breed may still exist in France or 

 Ireland. 



The SERAI TA-OOK, or FOWL OF THE SULTAN, is the 

 latest Polish fowl introduced into this country. They were 

 imported in 1854 by Miss Watts, who says : " With 

 regard to the name, Serai is the name of the Sultan's 

 palace ; Ta-ook is Turkish for fowl ; the simplest transla- 

 tion of this is, Sultan's fowls, or fowls of the Sultan ; a 

 name which has the double advantage of being the 

 nearest to be found to that by which they have been 

 known in their own country, and of designating the 

 country from which they came. In general habits 

 they are brisk and happy-tempered, but not kept in 

 as easily as Cochin-Chinas. They are very good layers ; 

 their eggs are large and white ; they are non-sitters, and 

 small eaters. A grass run with them will remain green 

 long after the crop would have been cleared by either 



