THE POULTRY BOOK. 
211 
believe tliat it is the first in the world in these respects. It is one of the best for 
crossing. 
“ The hen produces large eggs, and is an excellent layer, but scarcely ever sits ; 
and the eggs must therefore be hatched by other fowls. In many parts of France 
turkey-hens are made use of for this purpose, as they can be taught to sit almost 
at any time.” 
Our own experience would not lead us to form quite so high an estimate of their 
merits as M. Jacque has done. 
The third variety on our list, the La Fleche, are a tall, handsome breed, so close 
and hard-feathered that they are much heavier than they appear to the eye. They 
are capital layers of large eggs, and heavy fowls for the spit ; but when plucked 
their long legs and black shanks are against their value as market fowls, at least 
in England, where there is a prejudice in favour of white legs in table poultry. 
They stand very much in the same relation to the Houdans that the old-fashioned 
large Spanish fowl does to the coloured Dorking. 
Mr. Geyelin writes as follows respecting them : — 
In appearance the La Fleche somewhat resemble the Spanish ; the plumage, 
which is jet black, fits close to the body, and gives an idea of less bulk than those 
of Houdan and Crevecoeur, although they actually are heavier fowls. 
^‘In the markets, on account of the exquisite flavour of the flesh, they fetch 
fabulous prices ; at the time I was at La Fleche, the beginning of July, the fat 
chickens sold at five shillings each. Their skin is white, fine, transparent, and very 
elastic, which enables them to take an extraordinary amount of fat. The weight of 
the full-grown birds is from eight to ten pounds, and the bones less than one- 
eighth of the weight; when standing erect they measure twenty- two inches in 
height, and twenty-three inches in circumference, taken from under the wings. 
The legs are four-clawed, of a lead colour, the comb two-horned, the face red, 
but ear-lobe white, like the Spanish ; they lay abundantly early in the year, but 
as sitters they are as bad as the Spanish.” 
In this country they have been known for a few years, and have been frequently 
exhibited at the poultry shows, where large close-feathered specimens, with good 
white ear-lobes, pure black plumage, and well-marked two-horned combs, have rarely 
failed in taking prizes. Some of the birds exhibited have shown small crests ; but 
these have not met with favour in the eyes of the judges. As far as regards their 
value as table fowls, and the method of fattening them for the French markets, 
we must refer to the following account of twenty years’ experience in rearing 
birds of this breed by Mdlle. Millet Kobinet, the author of Oiseaux de Basse 
Cour” (Paris, Dusacq), a work from which we have previously quoted, and a high 
authority on the subject : — 
Mdlle. Eobinet states, the poularde to be fattened should be five or six months 
old, and should not have laid ; the flesh under the wings should be very white ; 
the eyes under the lids should be red ; the claws should be short, the rump and 
