20 THE HOME POULTRY BOOK 



are splendid all-purpose fowls and so aristocratic in 

 manner that they make a strong appeal to many 

 beginners. They are a trifle larger than the Amer- 

 ican breeds and doubtless would speedily come into 

 great favor if it were not for the fact that th&r 

 flesh is white. They lay brown-shelled eggs and 

 produce them in generous numbers. The meat is 

 excellent and a bird which is well cared for carries 

 a lot of it, especially on the breast, so that for home 

 use, the black Orpington is highly satisfactory, par- 

 ticularly when it is desirable to have a breed with 

 plumage which will not show stain or dirt. 



The Houdan is the French fowl best known in 

 this country and is an excellent breed for the ama- 

 teur, as the birds are tame, unusually attractive, 

 contented in confinement and good layers. The 

 eggs are white and the meat is too dark for market 

 poultry, but exceptionally fine in texture and flavor. 

 There is not so much meat on the carcass as is fur- 

 nished by birds of the American and other larger 

 breeds, but more than the Leghorns offer. The 

 flesh of Houdans is highly prized in France, where 

 dark-meated fowls have the preference. The Hou- 

 dans have crests or top-knots and are mottled black 

 and white in color. They are hardy and non-sit- 



