356 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



" There is also a Pile Andalusian, in which the ground-colour is silver, thinly covered with 

 light blue, which forms the pile. These are very beautiful birds, but are rarely seen." 



We have had some personal experience of Andalusian fowls, a friend in whose poultrj'-yard 

 we took considerable interest having kept a large stock for some years. She possessed the 

 advantages of a good country run, and from first to last gave a most favourable account of their 

 good qualities in every way. They were very moderate eaters, perfectly hardy, and their eggs 

 never failed. One peculiarity, however, always struck us, and that was their extreme precocity. 

 Mr. Leworthy has remarked upon this feature himself; but his general statement conveys little 

 idea of the extreme " fastness" of the chickens. It was really absurd to see (as we often have 

 seen) little beggars of no more than six or seven weeks old stand up and crow with all the 

 impudence that could be imagined. They were also pugnacious, more so than any other of the 

 Spanish breeds, but not enough to give much real trouble. 



The lady whose stock we refer to found the hens occasionally, though rarely, desire to sit ; and 

 when they did so they made very good mothers. The same uncertainty as to colour of the 

 chickens was found with this stock, many coming black, and with upright combs, so that much 

 care was required to keep the yard at all true to feather ; but as a safe, useful, and profitable fowl 

 to keep, they could hardly be surpassed. We may add that we obtained from this yard a draft to 

 stock a confined run constructed for a children's hospital, in order to supply the little inmates with 

 the much-needed luxury of really new-laid eggs ; and in these altered circumstances, also, the birds 

 maintained their character as good and reliable layers. 



Some little latitude is allowed in the colour of Andalusians for exhibition. It may vary from 

 a pale dove-colour to a deep slaty blue, and the lacing may be black, or dark blue, or purple ; or 

 in many fine specimens can scarcely be observed at all, the blue ground being almost uniform in 

 tint. The cock's hackle and upper plumage should, however, always be very dark in colour to 

 look well, the rich contrast of colour being required. We have seen this portion of his plumage 

 nearly if not quite black, which looks handsome ; but the best colour for beauty, and certainly that 

 which harmonises best with the general type of plumage altogether, is a very deep and lustrous 

 purple. A fine bird thus coloured always graces a pen, and if worthily mated, rarely fails to 

 obtain honourable notice. 



With respect to the origin of Andalusians, we confess to being puzzled. There can be no 

 doubt that the original birds of this colour were imported from Spain, but the exceeding difficulty, 

 after more than twenty years' breeding, of even now obtaining a stock true to points, makes it very 

 doubtful if these birds had any claim to the title of a distinct variety, but were not rather the 

 produce of some recent cross. It has come within our knowledge that in several instances the 

 crossing of white and black fowls, and even of black with black of different races, or white with 

 white, has produced stray birds very similar in colour to the slaty blue of the Andalusian ; and 

 hence it has struck us as a possible thing that the latter may have originated by a cross between 

 Black and White Spanish, or rather Minorca, since nearly all the birds found in Spain have red 

 faces with white ears. The hardiness, the quick feathering, and the prolificacy, would all be in 

 favour of such a view ; and we may add that we have seen many chickens produced which were of 

 such a very pale dove-colour as to appear more a dirty white than anything else. 



However this may be, there is no doubt that a wider cultivation, with care, might speedily 

 overcome the eccentricities which at present trouble every Andalusian breeder. As a useful fowl 

 this variety is well worthy of attention ; but the yard will always need care to avoid passing into 

 a mongrel appearance as regards colour, which is offensive to many eyes beside those of " fanciers" 

 properly so called. 



