THE POULTRY BOOK. 
229 
are many specimens variously coloured with black and brown, and some have 
feathered or booted legs. 
The most ornamental that we have seen are those with white feathers over the 
entire body. In good specimens they curve back from the body, so as to give the 
bird an appearance of being ruffled, or of having its feathers rubbed in the wrong 
direction ; the tail is generally ample and well siclded. As the birds have not 
been bred to any particular standard, their size, the colour of the plumage and 
legs, and the character of the combs, vary greatly in different specimens. The 
engraving gives a very faithful representation of some exceedingly good specimens. 
The following remarks on this variety have been kindly furnished for the present 
volume by Mr. Hewitt : — 
No variety of fowls can possibly present a more unique appearance than does 
the Frizzled fowl. All the body feathers, without exception, appear twisted out- 
wards and backwards — similarly to the curled feathers in the tail of a drake- 
exposing the down underneath to the influence of the weather ; it is to this 
exposure that I myself attribute the fact of their being the most uncertain 
layers I ever met with among any variety of poultry. After the occurrence of rain 
I have found that the Frizzled fowls continued in a state of dampness for several 
hours after the common poultry have become perfectly dry, and the results prove 
they are susceptible of injuries from such exposure. Those breeders with whom I 
have personally conversed, all declare they do not approve of the Frizzled fowls, 
from their want of constitution ; and from the fact that vdien dressed for the 
purposes of sale they carry so little flesh in accordance to the apparent size of the 
fowl itself. I have myself tested them as mothers, but find many superior ; and, 
when killed for table, they are of scarcely passable quality. The full-grov/n cocks 
generally weigh about five pounds, the hens nearly four. In plumage they are 
mostly white ; still I have seen many brown and grey specimens. They usually 
are of a somewhat sickly appearance, and generally, if handled, feel thin and spare. * 
Their combs are generally single, and the wattles large. The tails, which are 
of full size, have, like the flight-feathers of the wings, a broken, irregular appear- 
ance on the vane, as though they had been ruffled by passing the hand down them. 
I have met with many persons that have kept them for fancy sake, who regretted 
the experiment, as the fowls often became diseased, and were generally out of 
condition, although enjoying the same advantages as all the other varieties that 
remained in perfect health. They are quickly prevented from laying by the 
occurrence of severe w^eather, at which time they look very forlorn and wretched ; 
and always appear to suffer far more from exposure to cold and wet than the 
generality of fowls.” 
