CRESTED FOWLS. 



161 



hair of the human being is plastered flat on the 

 head with an extended and hardened section, 

 the very opposite to a flowing top-knot." 



Mr. Dixon thinks that the Poland fowl is a hy- 

 brid between the crested and the Spanish fowls. 

 It is, however, quite unknown in Poland, and is 

 said to have taken its name from some resem- 

 blance having been fancied between its tufted 

 crest and the square spreading crown of the 

 feathered caps worn by the Polish soldiers. 



There is no evidence that any breed of fowls 

 with top-knots was known to the ancients ; but 

 we first meet with them in the Middle Ages. 

 Aldrovandus, as quoted by Willoughby in his 

 " Ornithology," gives us many kinds, or rather 

 rarities, of hens, among which was one white and 

 " coppered," but this is'believed to be the lark- 

 crested barn-yard fowl of the present day. Al- 

 drovandus also gives two large spirited figures, 

 each occupying the whole of his folio page, which 

 he calls the Paduan fowls, but in which we rec- 

 ognize what would now be called Polands. His 

 description reads as follows : " There exist 

 cocks for the most part larger than our own, 

 which the common people call Paduan, even as 

 such hens are larger than our own hens. We 

 exhibit a likeness of the male and the female. 

 The male was most beautiful to behold, highly 

 decorated with five different colors ; viz., black, 

 white, red, green, and ochre. For the whole 

 body was black. The neck was covered with 

 very white feathers. But the wings and the 

 back consisted partly of black, and partly of 

 green. The tail likewise was of the same color, 

 but the roots of the feathers were whitish. Some 

 of the quill feathers were whitish above. Its head 

 was adorned with a very handsome crest; but 

 the roots of the crest were white. A red spot 

 encircled the eyes. The comb was very small, 

 the bill and feet yellowish. But in the whole hen 

 there was not the least white, except that white 

 skin, which is usual about the openings of the 

 ears, but she was altogether black, shining with 

 green. The feet were light yellow ; the comb 

 very small, and scarcely of a red color." 



Characteristics. In speaking of the recog- 

 nized points of excellence in the Polands of the 

 present day, we must separate the black white- 

 crested from the other varieties, since in form 



and general appearance a wide difference be- 

 tween them is at once apparent ; some features, 

 however, are common to both ; these, conse- 

 quently, claim our first attention. 



Thus the disposition and characteristics may 

 be spoken of generally ; and certainly in this 

 view they possess, in no inconsiderable degree, 

 all those traits which bespeak our admiration 

 no less than our attention. The cock, though 

 not belligerent, is by no means deficient in cour- 

 age, and, once engaged, will contend till he 

 finds himself fairly vanquished. His carriage 

 is lofty and upright, and when excited he dis- 

 plays a convulsive movement of the throat re- 

 sembling that of the Fan-tail Pigeon. The color 

 is of a uniform black, both cock and hen, gloss- 

 ed with metallic green. The head is ornament- 

 ed with a handsome crest or tuft of white feath- 

 ers, springing from a fleshy protuberance, con- 

 sisting of four or five spikes ; the wattles long, 

 and of a deep red ; the bill in both sexes is dis- 

 tinguished by a peculiar elevation, as also by 

 great width of the nostrils, observable in the 

 youngest chickens. At its base there usually 

 appears the small spike comb, which at its 

 broadest part should never exceed half an inch, 

 and in height it should be much less. From 

 its form and position it has been well compared 

 to the crescent that decorates the Turkish turban* 

 But the cock and the hen are of the same col- 

 or, only the cock has frequently some white 

 feathers in his tail, which some think a true sign 

 of pure breeding. His carriage is good; the 

 arched neck nearly meeting the tail, which i& 

 very full and erect, especially when he becomes 

 excited. The breast is wide and prominent, 

 while the short legs and generally compact form 

 are no less pleasing to the eye than valuable in 

 an economical point of view, as indicative, tech- 

 nically speaking, of the comparativeness of 

 offal. A full-sized Black Poland cock should 

 weigh from five to five and a half pounds. 



When we turn to the hen we require the 

 same color throughout, but the top-knot, of 

 course, must be perfectly white, globular, and 

 free from broken colors. Her wattles are round- 

 ed and well developed ; the ear-lobe white. 

 In form, she is closer built than the cock, full 

 breasted, and should weigh about four pounds. 



