TYPES, BREEDS, AND VARIETIES OF FOWLS 397 



European races to which it properly belonged, the Dominique 

 had not the rugged, vigorous constitution of the Asiatics and 

 of the American types developed by fusion of European and 

 Asiatic races. 



Earliest American general-purpose types. If there were no 

 other evidence of the presence of Asiatic fowls in America long 

 before the dates given for their introduction, the existence of at 

 least two well-defined varieties formed by combination of Asiatic 

 stock with native stock of European origin should establish the 

 fact. The Jersey Blue and the Bucks County Fowl, both of this 

 type, had a more than local reputation and were somewhat widely 

 distributed before the sensational exploitation of the Asiatic type. 

 It is possible, too, that the Rhode Island Red type existed at that 

 time, though the breed was scarcely heard of, outside of the locality 

 in which it originated, until nearly half a century later. 



Jersey Blues are said to have been made by crossing Black 

 Spanish with Malays or Shanghais. They were of medium size, 

 with single combs, red ear lobes, and the plumage coloration of 

 the Andalusian. After the name became known, it was customary 

 all over the country to call any blue fowl a Jersey Blue, and the 

 name was often given to mongrels from chance matings of black 

 and white fowls. 



Bucks County Fowls were developed in Bucks County, Pennsyl- 

 vania, by crossing Asiatic and native stocks. In everything but 

 color they were of the Barred Plymouth Rock type. The color 

 was buff, usually a dingy buff, with some black in the hackle, 

 wings, and tail, and often in other parts of the plumage. Why 

 this variety, widely known by name and as meritorious as the 

 Plymouth Rock, failed to attract more attention is one of the 

 puzzles of the history of varieties of poultry. Considerable flocks 

 of them could be found in places in the eastern states until after 

 the Buff Plymouth Rock became well established. In the making 

 of that variety they were probably used much more extensively than 

 has been admitted. Certainly they offered the best foundation 

 stock, having the Plymouth Rock type and a color so closely ap- 

 proaching buff that they frequently produced specimens of better 

 color than many of the early winners among Buff Rocks. There 

 are probably some stocks of Bucks County Fowls still to be found, 



