1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
13 
Dominique Fowls. 
This is an old-fashioned breed, so to speak, 
which is probably quite as widely known and 
has been as well liked as any of the now fash¬ 
ionable ones which are 
sought after at extraor¬ 
dinary prices, and bred 
with all the care 
and skill that man can 
apply. The Dominique 
is a breed adapted to 
all uses, and occupies a 
position in this country 
very similar to that 
which the Dorking does 
in England, being, how¬ 
ever, hardy, and free 
from that deformity of 
the Dorking—the fifth 
toe. The characteristics 
of the Dominiques may 
be briefly stated as fol¬ 
lows : Good size ; apti¬ 
tude for the table and 
for market; general ex¬ 
cellence as layers, and 
as winter layers; hardi¬ 
ness, both as fowls and 
chicks; uniformity of 
style and plumage. The 
hens are good setters 
and mothers. The 
breed is, besides, re¬ 
markable for the degree 
to which it impresses 
its character upon the 
common fowls. There 
are several breeders in 
the country who take great pains to maintain 
it in its perfection, and we are gratified to learn 
that in Illinois, and perhaps elsewhere at the 
West, it is held in such esteem that choice 
breeding birds are held at $40 to $50 a trio. 
Both single and rose combs are admissible, 
but should not be found in the same flocks. The 
legs are yellow ■ 
and clean, short 
and strong. At 
present the rose- 
combed variety is 
the favorite, al¬ 
though in no way 
superior, unless 
better bred. The 
color of the plum¬ 
age distinguishes 
the Dominiques 
from all other 
fowls with similar 
characteristics of 
form. It may be 
described as blu¬ 
ish-gray — each 
feather having a 
light gray ground, 
barred crosswise 
with a dark slaty- 
blue penciling. 
The cocks have a 
proud carriage,full 
neck, and saddle 
hackle, and full 
tails, with well-curved sickle feathers. The hens 
are domestic and active. The cocks should at¬ 
tain a weight of 5 to 7 pounds at eight or nine 
months old, and at full maturity of 6 to' 8 
pounds, and liens should weigh 4 to 6 pounds. 
If bred without regard- to size, they-run down 
to 4 pounds for the cocks, and 8 for the hens. 
This, some otherwise good breeders have al¬ 
lowed, by breeding too close, or too much for 
brilliancy of color. It deprives the breed of one 
of its chief recommendations—size and quality 
The Ferret. —Putorius furor 
DOMINIQUE FOWLS—PROPERTY OF COL. HENRY HOWLAND, OF CHICAGO. 
as a market fowl—and should not be practiced. 
We should add that a broad back, and full, deep 
breast, with short thighs, set wide apart, and 
well-tucked wings, are essential points. The 
face should be coral-red, the ear-lobes red, and 
wattles of medium size, and not too meaty. 
The fowls, of which we present portraits, were 
ing no little skill. 
the ferret.— {Putorius furor .) 
bred by Col.Henry Howland, of Chicago,’and re¬ 
ceived the first prize at the N.WV Poultry Asso¬ 
ciation last February. Col. H. has none to 
sell, and this article is not written to advertise 
anybody’s fowls, but to call attention to this 
excellent, though somewhat neglected breed. 
This little animal, which will be at once recog¬ 
nized as belonging to the family of the Minks 
and Weasels, is much better known in Europe 
than in this country. It 
is a native of the Bar¬ 
bary States in Africa, 
but we believe sustains 
itself in Spain and 
SouthernEurope in free¬ 
dom. In England, how¬ 
ever, and wherever the 
winters are cold, if one 
escapes and lives a wild 
life during the summer, 
it either returns to cap¬ 
tivity, which is often 
voluntarily done, or it 
perishes. Hence there 
is no danger, as some¬ 
times apprehended,that 
ferrets will run wild and 
become a great nuisance 
in every cold country. 
As is well known, they 
are employed in hunt¬ 
ing rats and rabbits, in 
which exercise they en¬ 
ter their burrows or 
holes and drive them 
out. The hunting ferret 
is invariably muzzled, so 
that he shall not kill the 
rabbit, suck its blood, 
and leave it dead in its 
burrow. The training 
of ferrets for the differ¬ 
ent uses is a task requir- 
A ferret must be a good 
fighter, or it will be worsted by a rat, and one 
accustomed to driving rabbits is, it is said, use¬ 
less for catching rats. Ferrets are kept in close 
boxes, well supplied with wool to keep them 
warm, and are fed on bread and milk and meat. 
They breed readily and acknowledge the care 
of their breeder by 
seldom biting him, 
if properly hand¬ 
led. Sometimes, 
however, they in¬ 
flict very severe 
wounds. It is a 
practice of Euro¬ 
pean breeders to 
cross the ferret 
with the common 
European Polecat 
{Putorius foatidus). 
The progeny is 
larger, darker col¬ 
ored, and hardier. 
It is said also that 
similar crosses 
may be made with 
the mink and some 
other members of 
the genus. The 
color of the ferret 
is very light yel¬ 
lowish, or white 
with red eyes. Our 
engraving repres¬ 
ents two ferrets of very dis-similar form and size. 
The smaller one is very highly bred and well 
trained. The other, a Polecat Ferret, a famous 
rat-killer. Ferrets are sold by dealers in birds, 
dogs, and other pets, at prices varying with 
the training which the animals have received. 
