31 
and partly green; tlie tail is the same, but the roots of the feathers 
whitish, and some of the flight feathers also white. The eyes are sur¬ 
rounded with red circles, the comb is very small, the bill and feet yel¬ 
low, and the head is adorned with a beautiful crest. In the hen there 
is no white except the white pellicle at the opening of the ears. She 
is altogether of a greenish-black color, with yellow feet and a very 
small comb, slightly tinged with red. 
The general characteristics of the Polish are those of medium-sized 
fowls, slightly larger than the Hamburgs; a full, round breast, carried 
well forward; the neck of the cock carried back and beautifully arched; 
a perfectly straight back, broad at the shoulders and narrowing rap¬ 
idly to the tail; large and closely folded wings; a large, well-expanded, 
upright tail, and in the cock furnished with an abundance of tail cov¬ 
erts and sickle feathers; shanks of a bluish color, in all varieties but 
the White-crested Black, in which they are of dark slate or nearly 
black; and, above all, a large crest and leaf comb. The crest of the 
cock is composed of narrow feathers, something like those which form 
the hackle of the neck and saddle. They should rise well in front, so 
as not to obstruct the sight, and fall over to the back and sides in a 
flowing, even mass. If they fall forward, as is sometimes the case, 
they both obstruct the sight and are liable to get wet when the bird 
drinks. Such a crest, also, is hollow in the center and loses much of 
its beauty. The crest of the hen is formed of feathers growing upward 
and turning in at the extremities, and should be large and globular in 
form and compact in character, with no sign of parting. The larger 
the crest the better, provided it is of good shape; but a close, compact, 
well-formed crest is to be preferred to one that is larger, but of loose 
texture and falling in all directions. The comb is peculiar, and belongs 
to the class of combs which have a fancied resemblance to a leaf, and 
are designated leaf combs. It is better described, however, as two 
fleshy horns diverging like the letter V, the upper extremities retreat¬ 
ing into the crest. The smaller the comb the better, and if wholly 
wanting, except when removed by design or accident, it is not regarded 
as a disqualification. 
Polish chickens are bred extensively in this country and by some 
are considered practical for general purposes, but, while some breeders 
may secure good results, the Polish is not to be fully recommended as 
a general-purpose fowl. They are considered more as fancy birds, and 
are generally bred for pleasure and the showroom. Their large crests 
are against them, hindering their vision and causing them to become 
listless, inactive, and suspicious. Extra care must be given to be 
fairly successful in raising them, and their houses and coops must be 
kept absolutely dry—the least water in their crests is likely to result 
fatally to them. 
They are fairly good layers of medium-sized eggs, and are nonsitters. 
For table purposes they are considered good, their flesh being fine¬ 
grained, tender, and sweet. 
