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THE SPANISH FOWL. 
THE SPANISH FOWL. 
Synonymes. — Gallus gallinaceus, of Naturalists ; Gallo anda- 
luz y of the Spaniards ; Minorcas, in North Devon, in England; 
Portugal Fowl, Spanish Fowl, Black Spanish Fowl, of the 
English and Anglo-Americans. 
This is a noble race of fowls, possessing many 
great merits ; of spirited and animated appear- 
ance of considerable size, excellent for the table, 
both in whiteness of flesh and skin, and also in 
flavor, being juicy and tender, and laying ex- 
ceedingly large eggs, in considerable numbers. 
Amongst birds of its own breed, it is not defi- 
cient in courage ; though it yields without show- 
ing much fight to those which have a dash of 
game blood in their veins. It should be a gen- 
eral favorite in all large cities, for the additional 
advantage that no soil of smoke or dirt is appa- 
rent on its plumage. 
The thorough-bred birds of the fancy should 
be entirely black, as far as feathers are con- 
cerned, and when in high condition display a 
greenish metallic lustre. The combs of both 
cock and hen are exceedingly large, of a vivid 
and most brilliant scarlet, that of the hen droop- 
ing over on one side. Their most singular 
feature is a large, white patch, or ear lobe, on 
the cheek, of a fleshy substance, similar to the 
wattles, which are small in the hens, but large 
and very conspicuous in the cocks. This marked 
contrast of black, bright-red, and white, makes 
the head of the Spanish cock as handsome as 
that of any other variety ; and in the genuine 
breed, the whole form is equally good ; but the 
scraggy, long-legged, mis-shapen mongrels often 
met with are enough to throw discredit on the 
whole race. Some birds are occasionally pro- 
duced -handsomely streaked with red on the 
hackles and back. This is no proof of bad 
breeding, if other points are right. 
Spanish hens are also of large size and good 
figure, and are celebrated as good layers, pro- 
ducing very large, quite white eggs, of a peculiar 
shape, being very thick at both ends, and ) r et 
tapering off" a little at each. They are by no 
means good mothers of families, even when 
they do sit, which they will not often condescend 
to do, proving very careless, and frequently 
trampling half their brood underfoot. But the 
inconveniences of this habit are easily obviated 
by causing the eggs to be hatched by some more 
motherly hen. 
It has been noticed that this variety of fowl 
frequently loses nearly all the feathers on the 
body, besides the usual quantity on the neck, 
wings, and tail ; and if they moult late, and the 
weather is severe, they feel it much. Nothing 
else can reasonably be expected to take place 
with an " everlasting layer." It often happens 
to the Guinea fowl ; and the reason of it is plain. 
If the system of a bird is exhausted by the un- 
remitting production of eggs, it cannot contain 
within itself the wherewithal to supply the 
growth of feathers. The stream that will fill 
but one channel cannot be made to keep two 
at high- water mark ; and therefore, Mr. Leonard 
Barber, an English author, justly observes : 
" With regard to an anxiety about their constant 
laying, in my opinion nature ought not to be 
forced, as it requires a rest." But some people 
think it cannot be right if their hens do not lay 
every day. 
It is doubtful whether they would readily 
become acclimatized in the northern parts of the 
United States, for continued frost, at any time, 
much injures their combs; frequently causing 
mortification in the end, which has terminated 
in death. A warm poultry house, high feeding, 
and care that the birds do not remain too long 
exposed to severe weather, are the best means 
of preventing this disfigurement. 
The chicks are large, as would be expected 
from such eggs, entirely shining black, except a 
pinafore of white on the breast, and a slight 
sprinkling under the chin, with sometimes also 
a little white round the beak and eyes; legs and 
feet black. They do not get perfectly feathered 
till they are three fourths grown ; and, there- 
fore, to have these birds come to perfection, it is 
The Spanish Cock and Hen. — Fig. 10. 
preferable to have them hatched early in spring, 
so that they may get well covered with plumage 
before the cold autumnal rains. 
The black, however, is not the only valuable 
race of Spanish fowls, although certain London 
dealers, who have no right to offer an opinion, 
if they do not choose to give information on the 
subject, presume to affirm that there can be no 
such breed as " speckled Spanish," it being char- 
acteristic of that breed to be perfectly black ; 
still there are some breeds, in Spain, closely 
allied to these which are of a blue, grey, or 
slaty color. Their growth is so rapid, and their 
eventual size so large, that they are remarkably 
slow in obtaining their feathers. Although well 
covered with down, when first hatched, they 
look almost naked when half grown, and should, 
therefore, be hatched early in the spring. 
The above, together with the cut, we take 
from the American Poultry Yard, an elegant and 
appropriate work just published by C. M. Saxton, 
of this city. 
