Treatmext of Spaxish before Exhibition. 343 



many opportunities of seeing the fowls under all circumstances, and of observing how they were 

 managed. A grass-run was always preferred where it could be had, but the majority of the birds 

 were kept in confinement, and generally under cover during severe weather, the houses being boarded 

 up for two or three feet in front, so as to keep off cold winds. In these circumstances they were 

 nearly always in tolerable show condition, except when moulting, which was a very slow process ; 

 but all the Bristol fanciers we were acquainted with used to keep their birds in a "dark house" for 

 about a week before showing. These places were not absolutely dark, but enough of what might be 

 called " twilight " was allowed through a small window to enable the birds to see their food and 

 water, walk about, and fly up to their roosts. In the best of these dark houses there were pens 

 about seven feet from front to back, by four feet wide, the partitions being boarded up about four 

 feet high, and netted thence to the roof, so that the whole was well-ventilated and airy. Con- 

 finement in such dark pens has a great effect, not only upon the faces, but also on the plumage of 

 the birds, making it clean and glossy ; and we never remember seeing the combs blanched as 

 described by Mr. Teebay, unless the darkening had been much too long continued, or overdone, or 

 the birds had been so closely penned as to be unable to move about. Occasionally they would be 

 let out for half-an-hour on a grass-plot if the weather was dull and mild, but never in the sun 

 " while a show was on." Heat was rarely used except in really cold weather, being found to cause 

 flabbiness in the comb, and to endanger the health of the birds on their journey afterwards. 



Few exhibitors showed their birds in better condition than Mr. Roue (who has lately retired, 

 but whose stock founded one of the best existing Bristol strains), and we found no difficulty in 

 obtaining from him at any time such information as we desired. He always found it best to feed 

 for exhibitions chiefly on barley-meal and bread and milk, with only a small portion of whole corn, 

 the bread and milk being found to " suit the faces " well ; and he always made a great point 

 of accustoming the birds to small pens, such as those in which they would have to be shown. 

 We have already treated generally of this matter; but in the case of Spanish it is peculiarly 

 necessary, as birds unused to the confinement are always poking their heads between the bars 

 or wires when penned, and, by getting rust or dirt on their faces, spoiling their chances in a close 

 competition, the least dirt showing very disadvantageously on the pure white of the face. 



The faces have in the main to be " bred up to ;" but in every fowl it is necessary to go over the 

 whole carefully, and pluck out with fine tweezers all the " fluff," or small hairy feathers, which are more 

 or less dotted over the surface. This is done by seizing each hair as close to the skin as possible, 

 and plucking it out with a sudden jerk. The white then shows up well, and when the operation 

 is completed the whole is carefully and gently washed with soap and lukewarm water, using for the 

 purpose a very soft sponge. Every man washed' his birds in his own way ; but Mr. Roue himselt 

 constructed a saddle on which the birds were strapped down, and which is likely to be so generally 

 useful in the case of many other varieties beside Spanish, that we have much pleasure in giving the 

 following description and representation of it, from notes and drawings which the inventor has 

 kindly sent us. 



the neighbourliood (ollowed his example, and when Mr. Rake finally retired his stock was eagerly bought, the best portion of it 

 remaining in the city. After him Mr. Roue bred birds which perhaps have never been excelled ; and the names of Messrs. Lane, 

 Paraley, Jones, Hyde, and otliers, are or have been all well-known as winners in Spanish chesses. At the Bristol Show in 1867, the 

 Judges distinguished four pens in the catalogue (all exhibited by different Bristol amateurs) as " tlie four best pens of Spanish evtr 

 seen together" The foundation of all these Bristol strains, however, was in the excellent stock already referred to ; and we were 

 interested to observe that only a few years ago, at the sale on retirement of another breeder (we think in 1869), "an old Rake 

 hen "—if we may apply such a term to the gentler sex— was bought apparently for the egg or two she might possibly lay, since there 

 could be little probability of such an event in the case of a fowl which could hardly have been less than ten or twelve years old. 

 Since 1S71 Bristol has not stood so high, several metropolitan and other exhibitors having established a dangerous rivalry. 



