THE POULTRY BOOK. 
109 
Tail erect and full, but not, as in some strains, tilting forward towards the head ; 
in all cases the tail should be well balanced, with bright metallic hues. 
“ The graceful carriage of the Spanish cock gives him a decided firmness of 
character, and it impresses the spectator with the idea that he is entitled to the 
appellation of The Don or Aristocrat of the poultry yard. 
“ The hen should average at least five and a half pounds in weight, and should 
stand about eighteen inches high. Her comb, when in condition, must be coral red, 
fine in texture, but not too thin ; a slight arching over the eye before it begins to 
droop over the face allows the bird to see on both sides, but if it be unusually thin 
it droops too closely to the face, and causes the hen to stoop awkwardly, as she can 
then only see with one eye, except when looking on the ground. Hens whose 
combs have this slight arching form breed cockerels with combs much less likely to 
fall over than those with the comb of a very thin drooping character. The wattles 
of the hen should he coral red, fine in texture, and neat in form. The face, 
as smooth as possible and purely white, should extend in a distinctly arched form 
up to the base of the comb, round behind the ear, and downwards, producing 
a neat lobe which cannot be too long. Neither cock nor hen having the slightest 
signs of redness in the face should ever be used for breeding. Breast full and 
prominent, body tapering towards the tail, legs blue-black or leaden, plumage as 
black as that of the cock, but possessing less metallic lustre ; tail full and square, 
carried with grace. Any signs of coloured feathers in either sex is a serious defect. 
Spanish fowls are active and graceful in all their movements, and appear with 
equal grace in the park, the lawn, the meadow, or in the enclosed aviary, and they 
are alike profitable in either position, provided a dry, warm, and sheltered situation 
is chosen ; when adult they are as hardy as any other variety, and will repay their 
keeper if properly cared for, kept perfectly dry, supplied with plenty of dry dusty 
earth and old lime rubbish, and an unlimited supply of green food : they appear to 
moult slowly and show signs of delicacy, but if generously fed they soon recover 
again, and begin to lay as early as most other fowls of the same age and in the 
same position. They are non-sitters, and lay larger eggs than any other kind. The 
chickens are slow in feathering, and from this cause alone they are generally more 
delicate than others when very young, consequently they require to be kept on dry 
ground and free from draughts. 
“ In showing these birds for competition some unprincipled persons are in the 
habit of trimming and dressing them in various ways ; if the white over the eyes is 
intercepted by feathers, they pull them out in order to produce the required arched 
appearance. Very frequently fine birds are slightly tinged with redness over the eye : 
this is frequently painted or whitewashed over. Some birds, if very late hatched, 
make small birds, and moult off early in the spring ; these birds if hatched about 
August or September, will have a full extent of face about July of the following 
year ; consequently the spring-hatched chickens stand but little chance in competi- 
tion with them until later in the season. The tail of these late-hatched birds is 
pulled and the spur shortened, to make them look like spring chickens. These 
