257 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
that these fetch great prices, and are much admired; hut now 
you will hear everywhere that Polands are delicate, that they 
require the greatest care in rearing, that they are liable to 
malformations of many kinds, that they will only thrive on 
the most sheltered soils, and all this is true; and why ? 
Because the weakest, smallest birds, so long as they are 
free from comb, are selected to breed from, and because 
their breeders have produced this delicacy by thwarting 
Nature. Those few persons who breed the combed Polands 
make no such complaints. No; they select their strongest, 
finest birds to breed from, and the more comb the better. 
So they possess fine, stately, strong birds, full of life and 
vigour, because Nature has fully endued them with the 
great principles of health and strength; and what unpre¬ 
judiced person will not confess that the combs give Polands 
a far more noble tout ensemble than the absence of these 
crimson and handsome appendages ? Apropos to this sub¬ 
ject a correspondent, “ G. W. B.,” said that my reason for 
Polands having combs, namely, that they have them by 
nature, is no reason, because, if so, Cochins would have 
clear legs, and Dorkings only four claws. Now, I think his 
reasons are no reasons, because he quite forgets, in his 
indignant remonstrance to me, that Dorkings and Cochins, 
being indigenous primitive races, always had five claws in 
the one, and feathered legs in the other, whereas the 
absence of combs in Polands has been entirely produced by 
the arduous exertions of all the breeders who profess to 
admire that absence ; therefore I think “ G. W. B.” might 
have been rather more merciful towards me.— The Comb 
C hampion. 
POLISH FOWLS WITHOUT COMBS. 
“ R. P. W.” seems to imagine that he has quite settled his 
point, and I have no doubt he has to his own satisfaction, 
though, notwithstanding his remarkable logic, I take leave 
to assert that, so far as Polish fowls which take the best 
prizes at our English shows are concerned, his conclusion 
is entirely incorrect; in fact, the question is so far settled 
with English amateurs that I observe few of them have 
thought it worth while to combat the erroneous and 
peculiar views of your Irish correspondent. It is childish 
to argue that combs in Polish fowls are natural, and 
therefore the fowls should wear them. The fact is the 
majority of our exhibition birds are artificial, and have 
been brought to their present perfect state of marking or 
conformation by careful and long-continued selection and 
close breeding. Whether the originals of the Polish fowls 
had combs or not is entirely beside the question. It might 
just as well be argued that, because one of the original 
progenitors of the Sebright Bantam (a Polish hen) had a 
crest, therefore the Sebright should wear one. There is 
every bit as much logic in this argument as in that of the 
“ Comb Champion.” 
The simple question is, What are the chief points at 
which the breeders of Polish fowls aim ? not what were the 
characteristics of their progenitors. Speaking for English 
Polish fanciers, I say the great points are size and shape of 
crest, and entire absence of comb in both sexes. In support 
of this assertion I confidently appeal to Messrs. Coleridge, 
Jones, and Adkins, three of our most noted Polish breeders. 
“R. P. W.” calls upon Polish fanciers to answer whether 
they do not breed a great number of chickens with combs. 
Undoubtedly they do, and Spanish fanciers breed a great 
number of chickens with red spots on their faces; and 
Dorking fanciers, notwithstanding the most careful selection 
of breeding stock, find that some chickens will come minus 
the fifth toe; but this argument is really so ridiculous 
that I hardly like to treat it seriously. In fact, “ R. P. W.,” 
after enjoying his triumph over the “no combs,” be¬ 
cause he imagines this fact proves his theory, actually 
himself demolishes it by stating that he has for many 
years killed all such cock chickens as showed combs. Now, 
if this means anything it means that “ R. P. W.” has bred 
chickens without combs, and consequently I am at liberty, 
according to his method of logic, to conclude that Polish 
fowls should not have combs. I must also state that, so far 
as my experience goes, combless Polish chickens are not 
invariably weak things that would die on a dunghill if not 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, July 21, 1857. 
killed. It is difficult to understand how “ R. P. W.” has 
proved this if he has “ invariably ” killed such chickens ; 
but, as he makes the assertion so boldly, I am bound to 
believe that, by some peculiar method, he has ascertained 
this to be true with regard to Irish chickens ; but it certainly 
is not true with regard to English ones, for the largest, 
strongest, and handsomest bird by far out of two broods 
which I reared last season was a cock entirely without comb. 
As I do not invariably kill all chickens with combs I can 
speak positively on this head; indeed, “ R. P. W.’s” state¬ 
ment thereon is so monstrously absurd that I am sure all 
our amateurs of Polish will say—“ Moonshine.” 
[The controversy had better now close, for it will not 
induce either party to change his opinion, and it is settled 
by our principal English breeders and judges of poultry 
that Polish fowls should not have combs. It is useless to 
contend against this decision on a mere matter of taste, for 
we have seen Polish fowls without combs quite as large and 
as vigorous as those having combs.— Ed. C. G.J 
GAME FOWLS. 
As an amateur or fancier of full thirty years, and inti¬ 
mately acquainted with most of the well-known old fanciers 
living in my time, perhaps you will allow me, without any 
vanity or presumption, to make a few remarks. I quite 
believe with your old correspondent, “ The North Country 
Amateur," in several original varieties of Game fowl. The 
principle of breeding has been a natural hobby of mine, 
and with opportunities of breeding and information has 
made me rather opinioned in my own views. 
Naturalists have continued an error in supposing all 
fowls to come from one common stock. The same of the 
dog and pigeon. The fact is they have been naturalists, 
and not amateurs or fanciers; theoretical, but not practical; 
philosophical, but not physiological. The Almighty could 
have as easily created 500 distinct varieties as five; and 
wherever there is evidence of an instinctive property it 
must be an original creation, and not capable of being 
produced by change of climate or circumstances. The 
instinctive character of the fowl under notice is yame or 
courage, and you might as well expect (excuse my illustra¬ 
tion), by constantly mixing tumblers of weak spirits and 
water together, to produce a tumbler of rectified spirits, as 
by constantly breeding with the Jungle fowl only to produce 
the Game fowl. A gentleman, a well-known fancier in “ my 
time,” greatly preferred the white-legged Black-breasted 
Reds to all others. The hens he termed “ wheaten; ’’ I 
prefer the word to cinnamon. I bred them myself, and no 
birds could be gamer, or more sound in feather, or more 
beautiful. Another gentleman amateur living at Hexton 
had nothing but blackish birds, with dark eyes, black legs, 
and grey hackle; hens' the same, mostly spurred; carried 
six to four wherever they went. Now, feather is no more 
the sole characteristic of Game fowl than colour is of a race¬ 
horse ; but it is that animation that stamps his carriage 
and actions, and arises from that indomitable courage which 
no other fowl possesses, and without which he is not a 
Game fowl; and no amateur or fancier can well call himself 
a judge, or fully appreciate that bird, without having 
Avitnessed his unflinching endurance of punishment from 
his antagonist either to death or victory.—H., Hiyhgate. 
WHITE DORKINGS.—POULTRY AT THE ROYAL 
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S SHOW. 
I have' for the last two years turned my attention to the 
breeding of White Dorkings, and now, having got up a stock 
of what I consider to be very fine high-bred fowls, I am 
naturally anxious to exhibit them. Why should some of 
the great Poultry Shows, the Crystal Palace for instance, 
give only two prizes for the White, when they offer five, 
and those of much larger amount, for the coloured Dorkings ? 
and the Exhibition at Gloucester ignores them altogether. 
Would a White Dorking cock have any chance of a prize if 
