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little ones. They will not bear fattening, but are always full of meat 

 if on a good range, and with suitable food they are plump and 

 meaty from little chickens, while their quick growth and hardihood 

 are two other valuable points not to be lost sight of. They will 

 roost in the trees throughout the winter with impunity, indeed they 

 never do so well, nor show such splendid condition and plumage 

 as when they roost in trees or open sheds, &c., the year round. 



Finally, we may .say that, although they are unable to stand 

 close confinement for long together, yet there is no fowl so suitable 

 to persons who breed poultry for their own table and have a good 

 ran for them. They are the fowls for the country gentleman, for 

 the outlying farmsteads, for the cottager who has a run for them 

 in the green lane or common, for anyone who has a meadow, 

 orchard, or copse, where they can run during the day and forage 

 for themselves, and reward their owner by their healthy appearance, 

 a plentiful supply of eggs and fine condition ; their beautiful colours, 

 and their graceful movements, so superior to and more attractive 

 than those of the common breed of fowls. The cocks, unless old, 

 are seldom anything but gallant in searching for food for the 

 hens and calling them to partake of some choice morsel ; while, in 

 defence of his seraglio, a game cock with full natural spurs has 

 been known to kill a fox ; and many a thieving rat has fallen a 

 victim. I have a little Derby hen in my possession, as I write, 

 that killed a weasel in defence of her brood. Seven chickens lay 

 dead, and the hen was wounded by his teeth ; but at some little 

 distance lay the weasel, where he had crawled away and died of 

 the wound he had received from the gallant and courageous little 

 hen. 



