POULTEY. 



106 



cooniN onnrA, or shanghai fowl. 



Fowls. — The chief drawbacks in rearing Spanish are the del- 

 icacy of the chickens while young, and the length of time which elapses 

 before the youngsters show their quality, unless they are bred ffbrn 

 much better fowls than most persons can command ; in which case the 

 chickens develop their prize properties earlier. The combs of the hens 

 shrink very much when they are not laying, and during the moulting 

 season. In winter they should be protected from severe cold, which is 

 very apt to seize the comb and wattles of the cocks. 



The hens lay larger eggs than any other kind of fowl we have : they 

 are non-sitters. The chickens hatch out black, with a little mixture of 

 dull white, or yellow. They fledge slowly, and are very delicate while 

 young. 



The Minorca, — This is a plump-bodied, useful fowl, which would be 

 a Spanish, if it could persuade its parents to bequeath it the white face 

 which breeders and judges think so much of. The plumage is black, 

 with metallic luster, and the hens lay fine large eggs. I believe they sit 

 more than the Spanish, 



The White Spanish. — The white-faced white Spanish I believe to be 

 merely a sport of the white-faced black Spanish. The red-faced white 

 Spanish, or white Andalusian, is really a Spanish fowl. They are good 

 layers, and very precocious. The stock was brought from Spain. 



Andalusian Fowls. — The birds which have been shown under this 

 name are in color the kind of gray called blue, which is sometimes laced 

 and shaded with black, Mr. Taylor, late of Shepherd's Bush, imported 

 the original stock from Spain. They are good-looking fowls with large 

 pendent scarlet combs like the Spanish, and are said to be good layers. 



