MANUAL ON POULTRY. 



15 



SPANISH BREEDS. 



Of these the white-faced Black Spanish 

 \s by far the most important, since it is 

 the most showy and useful. These birds 

 are of medium size, the cocks weighing 

 seven and the hens six pounds each. The 

 cock should possess style in his carriage. 

 The plumage should be a deep black 

 with glassy reflections in the light. The 

 comb above medium, single, deeply ser- 

 rated with not more than six points. 

 The face and ear-lobes white through- 

 out. 



The legs are blue or of a dark lead- 

 color. The legs are long, but the bodies WHITE-FACED BLACK SPANISH. 

 of both sexes are plump and larger than they appear. The color 

 of the face is considered important in this breed as the most dis- 

 tinctive indication of purity of blood. 



The chicks are very tender when young, though the adult birds 

 are quite hardy. The hens are good layers of large white eggs, 

 which are claimed by their advocates to be larger than those of any 

 other breed. They rank, perhaps, next to the Leghorns in egg-pro- 

 duction. 



Of the other varieties of Spanish fowls, the Minorca resembles 

 the white-faced Black in many respects, but is decidedly larger. 

 These are excellent layers, and the chicks are quite hardy. The 

 white differs from the Minorca very little, except in the color of 

 the plumage. 



The Andalusians are slaty blue in color of plumage, and resem- 

 ble the Minorcas in many respects, but are more hardy. 



There is, Jiowever, no need of the Spanish breeds so long as we 

 have the Leghorns, which have, to a large extent, superseded the 

 Spanish, and probably will do so completely when they are fully 

 appreciated. 



DORKINGS. 



This is a valuable breed, which some claim originated in Eng- 

 and, while others say they were cultivated by the Romans and 

 described by Plato and Columella. 



