COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
April 15. 
57 
trespass in his garden, thinly fenced from mine. Mr. B., 
on the other hand, has dogs and boys who would speedily 
destroy every bird that might cross their boundary. The 
Cochin vex neither one nor the other neighbour. They stay 
at home, eat heartily, lay regularly, and are content to spend 
in the dust-bin the greater portion of their time. Most 
convenient creatures for men of small domains. 
Still, I never intend again to keep them the whole 
summer through. April pullets, purchased in August, and 
got rid of in March, will give the least trouble, and the 
greatest return. Such birds will average not less than 
seventy eggs a piece during the time they remain with me, 
and make no contemptible dish at the end of it, for the 
hearty offspring of— Felix Rabbit. 
SOFT EGGS. 
I wish the readers of your periodical would be more com¬ 
municative ; scarcely do I perceive the commonest question 
replied to. There appears to be a kind of selfish secrecy in 
poultry amateurs, no giving and taking in the matter, no 
feeling but that of monopoly, not emulation, but gain, and 
thus we amateurs, who really mean to be exclusive in our 
breeds, care very little, when the exhibiting season is over, 
whether you know the cause of our success or no, and are 
free to answer all inquiries. Still, I am very sorry to say 
there are many very selfish persons in our class, and if it 
were not for your answers to queries, addressed exclusively 
to yourself, ’p on nl y word) no information would be pro- 
mulged at all. 
I would tell “ G. M.” that I had a bird who constantly 
laid soft eggs, and they appeared to be very large indeed. 
She was constantly uneasy, squatting about, and was 
evidently suffering from a bearing down and relaxation of 
the egg-passage. Thinking that the outer covering of the 
shell was deficient in calcareous deposit, I gave lime, sand, 
milk, <ic. Well, not caring much for the bird, she escaped 
notice for some time, but on inquiry from my lad, I found 
she laid more frequently than any of the others, a smaller 
egg, but particularly hard in the shell. Of course, I walked 
away quite satisfied with my treatment, until I caught the 
urchin grinning aside; the truth was, he had emptied a two- 
ounce bottleful of castor oil in a week, and put an extra 
nail or two in her tipple. The fact was, he cured her by 
the most sensible plan of reducing irritation, correcting her 
digestive organs, and giving tonics. I would advise “ G. M.” 
to do the same, and write whether it succeeds. —W. IT. Exeter. 
THE ANDALUSIAN FOWL. 
In your number for tho 18th of March last, “W. H.” 
asks, “Is their but one kind of Spanish fowl worth noticing 
This query is not now heard for the first time; for on 
various occasions have the pages of The Cottage Gardener 
contained references to the distinctive features of the breed 
known as Spanish, and the varieties that may fairly be in¬ 
cluded within their list. 
These distinctive features, on which most reliance would 
be placed, are the peculiarly large developement of comb 
and wattles, with not merely the ear-lobe, but also the face 
more or less white. There are, indeed, other points, both 
as regards properties, habits, and form, by which this race 
may be distinguished; but for the present purpose those 
already mentioned will be sufficient. 
Now, the White-faced Black Spanish, the Andalusian, 
and the White Spanish, possess this common feature in a 
more or less perfect form. It is, indeed, a bond of union 
within which even the Minorca may fairly seek admission; 
but inasmuch as the latter is always different in respect of 
I its face, it remains at the botton of its class, so far as its 
i fitness for the exhibition-room is concerned, though for all 
purposes of domestic economy it stands, at least, on a level 
witli its more purely-bred competitors. Since, then, both the 
fowl commonly called Andalusian and the White Spanish 
are found to possess this essential characteristic of the 
Spanish breed, any other claim, as I have said, might also 
be advanced for them; colour alone is clearly insufficient to 
banish them from the Spanish class. It may be thought, 
and the writer, indeed, is among those who hold the opinion, 
that by far the most effective combination of colour is 
found in the White-faced Black specimens, and that the 
palm of beauty, therefore, belongs to these; but this, 
surely, should never be employed as a reason to cast an 
unmerited slur on the others. Had fancy, as might have 
happened, turned in their direction, the careful selection of 
parent birds, regardless, it may be said, of cost, which has 
prevailed with Spanish breeders, would, probably, have as 
far advanced the position of the Andalusian fowls, as the 
White-faced Black birds have gained by the enthusiasm of 
their admirers. This observation, however, is limited to the 
Andalusians, as the White Spanish has ever appeared to me, 
with all the usual drawbacks of an “ albino,” together with 
the additional disadvantage of the loss of contrast in colour 
so evidently required by both their comb and face. Here I 
am evidently at issue with “ W. H.” But this brings me to 
his second inquiry, referring to the “ essentials and merits of 
the Andalusians. 1 ’ 
Now, if, as I believe, this bird belongs to the Spanish 
race, it is evident that the main features of this family must 
be well developed in specimens destined for exhibition. 
There will be required, therefore, the full proportions of 
comb and wattle, the white face and ear-lobe, the stately 
carriage and the large frame of the White-faced Black birds. 
In respect of colour, it may not be too much to limit it to blue, 
and its closely-allied tints from the shades of grey to the in¬ 
tense purple-black of the cock's hackle and tail, with the legs 
and feet a dark slate. The same precise accuracy of descrip¬ 
tion, it should be remembered, cannot be looked for in fowls 
like those now under consideration, as where each detail of 
points and excellence has been, as in other more popular 
breeds, the oft- discussed question of many a past year. As 
well might it be demanded, that the florist should at once 
define the most desirable features on a flower on which his 
experiments were yet in their earliest stage, as would justly 
be expected in the case of an Auricula, or Tulip. It may 
be granted that something is already known and recognized 
as what best becomes the Andalusians, and the remarks 
that I have made regarding its proper features are identical 
with those put forth in the “ Poultry Book ” (page 3) 
some two years since, and in which it seems there is little, 
if anything, that would require correction from what has 
been subsequently learnt. 
I observe, that I have omitted any allusion to tho 
“ yellowish feathers on the wings. 1 ' My opinion is strongly 
adverse to their propriety; and they seem no less objection¬ 
able in “Blue'' than they undoubtedly would be in the 
“ Black’’ Spanish. Such feathers, it is true, are sometimes 
not found fault with in the Silver-pencilled Hamburghs; 
but, I believe, a large majority of voices would pronounce 
for their exclusion even in that case. 
Judges are, indeed, responsible for much ; but many of 
the heavy burdens that are apt to bo laid on their s might 
more fitly be borne by other shoulders. At the smaller 
local shows, for instance, a judge is frequently disposed to 
pass over many a pen where mediocrity merely is attained ; 
and his reasons for so doing have no less reference to the 
general interest of the exhibition, than to the individual 
instruction of the exhibitor. But were this rule strictly 
carried out (as it ever ought to be where positive defects 
are visible), many, very many, cases would constantly occur 
where neither prize nor commendation would appear ; and 
an assent frequently, indeed universally, given to the wishes 
of committees, induces rewards to pens that would be much 
more and beneficially left unnoticed. It is not, therefore, 
to be inferred, that because a prize may decorate a certain 
pen, that its occupants are, on all points, specimens for the 
imitation of the breeder. And again, it may be useful to 
remember, that many a pen may be disqualified for faults 
in one or more of its inmates, which may yet contain better 
individual specimens than those to which the honours have 
been accorded. However trite this observation, the ex¬ 
perience of each succeeding day shows the necessity for its i 
repetition. 
If I have cause to differ from “ W. H.” in some par- i 
tieulars of his communication, I liartily ooncur with him 
in regarding the “ Andalusian ” as both a handsome and 
useful member of the poultry-yard. It is, indeed, with a 
