FLESH FOOD FURNISHED BY THE FEATHEEED TRIBES. 147 



feathers, and 12 ozs. for offal, before they become food. 

 The gamecock rarely exceeds 4^ lbs., but by crossing 

 with the Malay they may be brought up to 6 lbs. or 7 lbs. 

 in weight. Dorkings, when not inbred, but well and 

 carefully fed as chickens, will reach to 7^ lbs. as pullets, 

 and to 9 lbs. as cockerels ; higher weights, such as 10 lbs. 

 for hens and 12 lbs. for cocks, can be obtained, but these 

 are exceptional. The Dorking and Surrey fowls are 

 beyond question the best for the table, in delicacy and 

 weight of flesh ; the game fowl the most savoury, 

 although deficient in size; the Brahmapootra not so 

 delicate in flavour as the others, but hardy, weighty, 

 and easily fattened ; the Houdan have the good without 

 the bad qualities of the Dorking — are precocious and 

 small boned. A fattened pullet of the Houdan breed 

 killed at four months and a-half, weighs (the crop and 

 intestines empty) 2 kilos. 200 grammes, or about 4^ 

 pounds; thus divided: — 



Intestines empty 100 grammes. 



Sand in the gizzard and feathers ... 50 „ 



Bones 250 „ 



Flesh, including the liver and gizzard... 1.800 „ 



2.200 „ 



If we abstract the weight of the flesh of the head and 

 feet, in fact all called " the giblets." or about one kilo. 

 and a-half, we shall find that the bones of this species 

 form barely one-eighth, while the bones in butcher's 

 meat will average one-fourth of the weight. 



It is difficult to arrive at any precise estimate of the 

 number of domestic birds and poultry in various 

 countries, but a few figures may not be out of place, 

 although statistics are by no means pleasant reading. 



The number of poultry in Ireland in 1883 was 

 13,382,430, composed as follows :— 796,187 turkeys; 

 2,052,372 geese ; 2,836,847 ducks ; and 7,697,024 ordinary 

 fowls. Estimating the geese and turkeys at an average 

 market price of 3s. each, and ducks and ordinary fowl 

 at 2s. 6d. per pair, the poultry in Ireland would repre- 



l2 



