106 
THE POULTRY BOOK. 
derived, I think, from the Dutch breed. The larger, coarser strain of Spanish are 
the finer built birds, larger framed and longer limbed; they lay very fine eggs, much 
larger than those of the Dutch variety, and are knovvui amongst the London fanciers 
as ‘Warty-faced,’ ‘Cauliflower-faced,’ and ‘ Eough-faced ’ birds. In these the 
carunculated white excrescences break out in clusters beyond the surface of the 
face ; in old age, and often before, preventing the bird from seeing in front or 
behind, the eye being nearly buried, and the white above often falling over, so as 
almost to obscure the sight altogether. 
“ The Dutch-bred Spanish are much earlier than ours in showing the white face, 
and arrive at maturity much quicker. Young cocks of this sort will be quite 
white perhaps at eight months, and never improve afterwards ; while our own 
English breed would at that age be very inferior, but continue to improve each 
month up to two years old and upwards : the pullets are also subject to the same 
remark.” 
In his remarks on Spanish in general, Mr. Brown states, regarding the plumage, 
that “ the white tips occasionally seen on some of the feathers are no indication of 
impure blood, as the purest bred birds, and those hatched from raven-black parents, 
often have a few, and sometimes a large number, of speckled feathers. In old age, 
Spanish sometimes become pied, and, the following moult, change to pure white, 
the legs also changing colour. In Spanish cockerels of the first year the tail is 
scanty, but in the second season it assumes its very ample and beautifully arched 
form. The cock’s comb should be thick and self-supporting^at the base, thinner 
towards the edges, and perfectly erect ; when the bird is in motion, the wavy 
tremulous action of the extremity of a thin comb gives rise to a much more grace- 
ful appearance than when it is too short, thick, and stunted to sway with the 
movements of the head. 
“ In breeding Spanish, the chickens bred from the same parents differ much in 
quality ; but that the rose-combed, red-hackled, and brassy- v/inged birds that have 
been produced from settings of eggs sold for extraordinarily high prices, ever came 
from pure-bred birds, is an entire fabrication.” 
Mr. Hewitt furnishes the following notes on this breed: — “ Spanish fowls for ex- 
hibition must imperatively be quite free from any sprinklings of white or any other 
colour whatever throughout their entire plumage. They are rather prone to this 
defect (as is usual in all fowls whose feathers are naturally black). The white 
feathers are generally most apparent upon the head and upper part of the neck of 
the hens, and on the hinder portions of the thighs. Feathers that have been 
accidentally pulled out are sometimes reproduced thus sprinkled, or marked with 
wLite, yet at the natural moult return to their proper hue. The cocks are most 
apt to be faulty in the shoulders, and longer neck hackle feathers. 
“ All Spanish are good layers ; but the more perfect the general external cha- 
racter of the hen, as a rule, the finer eggs she produces. The chickens feather very 
slowly, especially if closely bred, sometimes as they grow up being all but destitute 
of plumage or even dowm ; in this stage they are most easily affected by sudden 
