Cochins. 89 



in the spring and summer are so continually broody that 

 very few eggs indeed are obtained from them. In fact, they 

 are the most inveterate sitters of all fowls, and on this 

 account cannot be recommended ; for sit they will, and when 

 they will, choosing all kinds of unlikely articles if they 

 cannot obtain eggs. They are clumsy, and often break 

 the eggs, or crush the chickens given to them. They are 

 very hardy and easy to rear, can be kept on any soil, are very 

 docile, but make poor table birds, except so far as size is 

 concerned, having coarse flesh and large bones. We give 

 portraits of a fairly good pair of buffs, though the best exhi 

 bition birds are now bred higher in the tail and with more 

 leg and footfeather than is here represented. There are four 

 colours — buff, partridge, black, and white — all of which are 

 very handsome, and look well in a show pen, or on a lawn, 

 where appearance and not utility is looked for. But as com- 

 mercial fowls they are of no use whatever. 



Dominiques. 



These are birds of American origin, and resemble Cuckoo 

 Dorkings in shape and in some other respects, but have a 

 rose comb. They have yellow legs, are very hardy, will thrive 

 on almost any soil, are capital layers, fairly good table birds, 

 good sitters and mothers, making altogether a most useful 

 breed for general purposes. They have not, however, come 

 into anything like general favour as show birds, and therefore 

 are not very easy to obtain of high quality, but would, we 

 think, amply repay any one who took them up. ' 



Dorkings. 



Dorkings and Gaines are, perhaps, the oldest and best 

 preserved of all the English pure-bred fowls. The general 



