412 The Illustrated Book op Poultry. 



at the sides, with something like a bunch of coral in the centre : it is, however, very difficult, if not 

 impossible at present, to breed to any exact standard in this particular point. The wattles should 

 be long ; the crest large, composed of feathers similar to those of the hackle, and inclining rather 

 backwards so as not to hide the comb ; the muffling full, so as to hide the face. The colour should 

 be a rich black and white, as evenly marked as possible, especially on the breast ; but most birds 

 have more or less straw-coloured feathers in crest, hackle, and saddle, and I do not consider them 

 any great drawback, although I would prefer pure black and white if the bird were equal in 

 other points. The tail should be dark in colour, well sickled, and carried erect. The legs are light 

 in colour, or black and white [we should describe the colour ourselves as pinky white, mottled with 

 black], with fifth toe well developed. 



" The hen should be large, with a small coral-like comb ; crest and muffling large, and as full 

 as possible ; colour pure black and white, as evenly broken as can be, the markings being rather 

 small. The legs are similar to those of the cock. Red feathers are inadmissible in both sexes. 



" The cock whose portrait appears weighed, when in fair condition, nine pounds and a half 

 and the hen six pounds and a half The heaviest hen I ever possessed weighed as much as eight 

 pounds and a half; but I have some doubt if she was pure-bred, though I purchased her of a well- 

 known breeder. 



" To breed Houdans, if the hens are light in colour, a dark cock or cockerel should be selected ; 

 but I prefer to mate dark hens with a cock or cockerel rather lighter, and from birds so mated I 

 have bred beautiful birds of both sexes. I am inclined to think crest comes from the hen, and 

 would therefore be more particular in choosing large-crested hens than cocks. 



" The little cockerels may soon be distinguished from the pullets by their combs, which are 

 much more prominent, the pullets often showing scarcely any until they assume their adult 

 plumage ; the crests of the cockerels are also composed of differently-shaped feathers, being 

 similar in kind to the hackles. In the pullets the crest should be fuller and more round in shape. 

 If the chicks are bred from birds of a known good dark strain, I would caution breeders not to 

 condemn them for being too light in colour, as if they are well bred they will in all probability get 

 dark enough afterwards — at least I have found it so with my birds. Pullets and cockerels must 

 be very dark to make good-coloured birds in after years, so that fine young birds, though too dark, 

 if good in other points may be kept to show later in life, as well as to breed. 



" They make excellent birds for the table at an early age, and for market are preferable to 

 the Cr^vecoeurs, on account of the lighter colour of the legs. When early hatched the pullets make 

 capital winter layers." 



When first imported the fifth toe of the Houdan was very uncertain, and many birds brought 

 from France were also deficient in muffs or beards. The requirements of English shows have led 

 to fixture of both points, but in the case of the fifth toe, at least, we are far from sure the decision 

 was a wise one. We ventured at the time to predict that sooner or later we should acquire with 

 the positive fixture of this point the inevitable "bumble-foot" which so troubles Dorking breeders, 

 and we were interested to observe isolated cases almost immediately afterwards. That was several 

 years ago ; and since then we have seen many. The breed is yet far from being as subject to the 

 complaint as the Dorking, which is partly owing to its being naturally a lighter-made and more 

 active fowl, and partly to the fact that the toe has not been "bred in" so long and so thoroughly, 

 being evidently derived from the Dorking cross employed to fashion the breed ; but it is decidedly 

 on the increase, and we cannot but again express our regret at unnatural peculiarities being thus 

 perpetuated in what profess to be table fowls. 



It is worth remarking that Houdan cocks are in general the most vigorous of any, and should 



