PREFACE. 



For such a work as the present we do not feel that any apology can be either useful 

 or necessary : it must necessarily stand or fall by its own merits, as an attempt at a 

 thorough and practical exposition of Poultry and Poultry-keeping in their various 

 branches. We may, however, state that it is the result, in great degree, of direct request 

 from numerous fanciers. When, a few years since, we published a small treatise written 

 from the practical or breeder's point of view, upon the particular variety of poultry which 

 had become our own special craze in this line-the Brahma-any great den.and for 

 it appeared exceedingly doubtful. To our astonishment, however, both the first and 

 a second edition were rapidly exhausted; and we received from all quarters strong 

 requests for a similarly full treatment of other breeds and other branches of the subject, 

 illustrated by really faithful Coloured Portraits of celebrated birds It was m vain 

 that we pointed out the difficulties of such a work ; urged that we didn t know evcry- 

 ^/«-;^^-quite, even about fowls ; and that secrets of breeding and management were, 

 as a rule, most jealously guarded. We were assured that the necessary information 

 could be obtained ; that " the fancy " had confidence in us and would help us ; and more 

 than one promised us that all they knew should be freely communicated, if we would 

 only take charge of it. We could scarcely refuse under such circumstances, and this 

 may be given as the history in brief of the present work. 



' So begun, and so carried on, it has been of course a labour of love. The work 

 has been great ; but it has been pleasant work, lovingly and heartily done, and shar d 

 in by neariy all those best known in the poultry world. Without their aid we could 

 have done little ; but every one has brought his stone to the building. Never has such 

 a mass of information, contributed by the best authorities in the "fancy, been brough 

 together; and birds which no money could purchase have been freely entrused to us 

 for portraiture. We had intended to have here recorded those to whom the public 

 and ourselves are alike so much indebted, but we find the list is too long. To give 

 only some would be unjust, and to give all would lose the very grace of such an 

 acknowledgment amongst the mass of names; we prefer therefore to -fer to ri e 

 Index, or to our text itself, where it will be seen that for the substance of whde 

 chapters we have merely acted as counsel examining not unwilling witnesses. We 

 have had sometimes to cross-examine; to draw out further explanations^ on points no 

 sufficiently treated of or left unmentioned-a knowing "poultry-man takes it 



