CHAPTEK XI. 
THE SPANISH FOWL, 
The geographical names by wbicb the majority of the different breeds of onr 
domestic poultry are at present known to us are unquestionably erroneous. 
Cocbins were unknown in Cocbiii Cbina until introduced into that country from 
Sbangbae by tbe English. The so-called Polands are unknown in Poland. 
Spangled Hamburgbs are certainly of English origin ; and tbe breed known as 
Brahmas are unknown on tbe banks of tbe river Brahmapootra. But with Spanish 
tbe case appears somewhat different ; all along tbe Mediterranean, from Gibraltar 
to Syria, tbe countries that border on that vast inland sea, with its numerous 
islands, abound with fowls that bear so close a degree of resemblance to tbe 
Spanish race as may w^arrant our assigning them to one common stock. Tbe 
employment of tbe names used to indicate some of the varieties of this breed tend 
to point their common origin ; thus we have Andalusians, Anconas, and Minorcas, 
tbe names of wbicb point to a Mediterranean origin. 
Tbe quantity of poultry kept in these countries greatly exceeds anything we 
witness in England, even since public attention has been more generally given 
to this branch of agricultural economy. Purity of breed, however, is but little 
esteemed, and tbe miscellaneous collection of mongrels described by every 
Mediterranean traveller who has touched on this subject will probably long 
remain in tbe same heterogeneous state as it is at present. Nevertheless, with 
those who have examined with any care tbe natural history of this section of 
gallinaceous birds, little hesitation would be felt as to tbe extreme probability 
of a common descent. 
These breeds certainly are not likely to have bad their origin in tbe more 
northern parts of tbe European Continent ; since those who now keep them 
know to their cost bow apt they are to suffer in their combs and tbe fleshy 
excrescence on tbe face in weather wbicb other poultry braves with impunity. 
Their prolonged and excessive moult is also indicative of their original habitation 
having been under the mild temperature of those southern lands. 
The Spanish fowl throughout the wide range of the Mediterranean coasts 
is always found in a state more or less degenerate, in comparison with the 
beautiful birds that are now seen at our exhibitions. So little attention, indeed, 
has been given to preserve the breed pure in any part of what we may term 
its native districts, that the specimens recently imported from Spain and the 
adjacent countries have always been of a very indifferent description. On the 
