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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



a most perceptible modification and contrast ; in 

 a word, a very near approach to the spangled 

 Hamburgh. The prominency and roundness of 

 the breast is diminished, the body is narrowed, 

 lengthened, and gradually tapering to the tail ; 

 the feathers of which, as observable in the hen, 

 are like those of the Hamburgh, and are much 

 longer than in the true or bearded Poland. The 

 neck presents a striking difference : all that 

 general volume of the neck is gone ; and it is 

 thin, spare of feathers, and meagre ; in size and 

 in proportion it is wanting. 



Though, as I have said, the marking of the 

 plumage affords us no help in tracing the beardless 

 Poland to its connexion with the spangled Ham- 

 burgh, they being very similarly spangled — yet the 

 nature, fabric, or material of the feather differs, 

 and affords assistance in defining the difference 

 between the true bearded Poland and the hybrid 

 one. Thus, let any one handle a true golden 

 Poland hen, and he will be struck with the remark- 

 ably soft, silky, yielding quality of feathers; it is 

 so peculiar, that at this moment I can recall the 

 surprise on my first handling one ; while the feel 

 or sensation communicated by the beardless fowls 

 is like the Hamburgh, a comparative closeness 

 and hardness of feather; there being nearly as 

 great a difference in this respect as there is between 

 the feel of a Shanghae and a Malay. This differ- 

 ence in the character of feathers in various fowls 

 is well noticed by Mr. Baily, and a very distinctive 

 character it is. 



Again, the top-knot, in the great majority of 

 beardless Polands (especially in the golden), is 

 insignificant. It is, I believe, invariably so in 

 imported birds ; but within the last two years, 

 there have been raised in this kingdom some silver 

 beardless Polands with top-knots of fair size ; the 

 golden, however, as far as I have seen at exhibi- 

 tions, or heard of, still remain in statu quo; waiting 

 some lucky hit, or cross with the bearded, to give 

 them top-knots, and to reduce their abundant, 

 plated, pointed combs. It is important to notice, 

 that in breeding beardless Polands, the greatest 

 uncertainty prevails as to the qtiality of the 

 chickens. In some which I last year raised from 

 the very best specimens of beardless silver Polands, 

 there was a very near approach to the rose comb 

 of the spangled Hamburgh ; an uneven, serrated, 

 protuberant, and large plate of flesh, terminating 

 in a point, with a mere tuft of feathers for a top- 

 knot ; whilst a very few had top-knots equal in 

 size to the parents. 



It is indeed a fact, as important as it is striking, 

 that while the chickens of the true bearded 

 Poland have invariably large and full-sized top- 

 knots, the produce, on the contrary, of beardless 

 Polands, evince all the uncertainty and anomaly 

 above stated. How is this ? Why, I ask, should 

 one be all certainty, the other uncertainty? The 

 answer is clear, plain, and convincing enough. 

 The beardless Polands being spurious, hybrid— now 

 the Polish, now the Hamburgh blood or type pre- 

 vails ; so that in the one instance we have top-knots, 

 in the other scarcely any, but with development of 

 comb ; for it is a fact well known to breeders, that 

 all cross-bred birds exhibit a constant tendency 

 to lean to one parental origin or the other ; as they 

 term it, " they cry back." Thus have I shown 

 that the beardless Poland is degenerate in shape, 



specially and generally ; also in carriage, bearing, 

 or deportment, and in the quality of its feathers ; 

 whilst the character of its produce or chickens is 

 ever varying and uncertain. 



But what, on the other hand, has been urged 

 against beards ? — Simply dislike. A whisper has 

 gone forth, which no one, however, will own to — 

 that the beard is from a cross with the Russian 

 fowl. In truth, the Poland has no one character 

 of the Russian ; not even in the so-called beard is 

 there any resemblance ; for whilst the beard of the 

 Russian is a long tuft, looking like a hanging bag 

 of feathers, the beard of the Poland consists of im- 

 bricated feathers, scarcely longer than the rest on 

 the throat, and closely, compactly, and definitely 

 arranged in a triangular shape, the base being 

 uppermost ; it has nothing in common with the 

 bearded tuft of the Russian, or any other fowl. 

 It is truly sui generis — true in its own kind, and 

 an inborn, inbred characteristic of a true Poland. 

 In conclusion, I beg to sny, that though 1 now write 

 as a partisan of the bearded Poland (and coincide 

 with the opinions of such experienced gentlemen as 

 Mr. Vivian, as well as of Mr. Baker, of London, and 

 others), it was only after mature reflection, obser- 

 vation, and experience on both varieties, kept at 

 the same time, and in equal numbers, that the 

 conviction was forced upon me, that the bearded 

 are the true Polands, and that the beardless are 

 spurious. 



The long- heralded Poultry Booh, No L, 

 has appeared. It is, as we imagined it 

 would be, a book not for the multitude, but 

 for the " choice few " who are at present 

 mad after the unsightly Cochins. If any- 

 thing would set real judges of beauty 

 against this particular breed, it w r ould be the 

 animals " figured " in this book. A great 

 deal of discursive matter is introduced, that 

 renders the work " heavy ;" though it is un- 

 deniable that the elevations, plans, designs, 

 &c, must have been produced at some con- 

 siderable cost. This, however, considering 

 that wealthy breeders w T ill be the principal 

 purchasers, is of little consequence. 



By and-bv, when the editors (the Rev. 

 W. Wingfield, and Mr. G. W. Johnson) 

 have exhausted their panegyrics on the 

 Shanghae breed, we shall see wdiat they have 

 to say about the more useful fowls. 



We hold to our opinion (confirmed by 

 practical poulterers), that "the Dorking," 

 after all, is the bird for the table. 



CHEERFULNESS. 



HArrY is he who, like the lark, is ever joyful, 

 ever merry. We dearly love to hear a man sing 

 or whistle as he walks along to his work. No one 

 can be sensible of fatigue whilst he marches to 

 music. The very stars are said to make harmony 

 as they revolve in their spheres. Wondrous is the 

 strength of cheerfulness ; altogether past calcula- 

 tion its power of endurance ! Efforts, to be per- 

 manently useful, must be uniformly joyous, a spirit 

 all sunshine ; graceful from very gladness, beautiful 

 because bright. 



