405 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY 
breeds will ever supersede or be superseded by a rival race. 
Each iu its fit locality is best. Useful competition is that 
between different strains of the same variety, or between 
different varieties under identical circumstances. I believe 
the valuable points of every variety may be considerably 
improved by careful breeding. To this should poultry ama¬ 
teurs give their attention. To vaunt one breed at the expense 
of another is unprofitable employment. For myself I am a 
keen admirer of the pretty birds championed so pleasantly 
by your friend of the Silver-pencil. When I have “ a good 
grass field and a carriage-drive ” to give them I shall endea¬ 
vour to keep them. When I do I will ask the Editor of The 
Cottage Gardener to iusert communication No. 2 from his 
admirer— Sparrow-Hawk. 
GAME FOWLS. 
I find that I omitted to state a few requisites for a good 
Game fowl. As to feathers, they should be rather thin than 
thick of feathers, and those short, stiff, and hard, which is a 
sign of good health ; whereas, if long, silky, and soft, it is a 
sign of a weak constitution. Also, that in olive or willow¬ 
legged fowls the ball of the foot should be yellow. 
Among imperfections as to colour I may mention party- 
coloured breasts as defective in most varieties, generally from 
bad crossing. 
Among imperfections as to shape there are as follows :— 
Short and thick footed, short-necked, crooked breast-bone (gene¬ 
rally from letting young chicks perch too early while the 
breast-bone is soft), too short-leyyed, thin thighs, hocks turn¬ 
ing in too much, flat sided, and, consequently, too deep-heeled. 
I also consider that Piles, being of such a variety of 
crosses and mixtures, should rank last instead of first in the 
catalogues of Exhibitions.— Newmarket. 
PETITION OF THE BUENOS AYREAN DUCK. 
Mr. Editor,— I am a quack, but no charlatan. I am 
black, but neither a negro, an Asiatic, nor an African. I am 
a waddler, yet not ungainly either in my person or my 
shape. I put my appeal in the Poultry Chronicle, yet 
I am not out of place in The Cottage Gardener, for 
many ardent followers of horticulture and floriculture ap¬ 
prove my exertions in their gardens. Sir, I am a Buenos 
Ayp.ean Duck, and I demand justice. Plow often, Sir, do 
my fellows devour the slugs and save the early Peas, little 
dreaming that they will figure on the same table with them ! 
How often does the poultry woman, when the sun shines on 
our lustrous plumage, say it is a shame to kill us, yet does 
the deed at the same moment! I do not complain of this; 
but, at the same time, let me say one word on the manner 
in which this last operation should be performed. Cut our 
throats effectually, and have done with it. Oh! Sir, those 
wretches who profess to kill us with pins have much to 
answer for. How often they miss their mark, and thrust 
the pin everywhere but in the brain ! 
A clever old relation of mine has often told me what he 
once saw in France. It was at the end of the year, and the 
nouvelle annee was to be kept by a large party. My uncle 
and seven relations were put in a basket by an old woman 
who had carefully reared them, and they were taken by her 
to market. They were bought by the cook and taken home. 
Then there was a committee to choose the fattest to be 
killed for New Year’s day. My uncle had only just recovered 
from a severe attack of cramp, and that saved his life. He 
was thin. I now use his own Words :— 44 The others, one 
after the other, had the pin stuck into their heads, and 
were taken to the cellar. It was an old, lofty place, and in 
the centre was a circular iron, garnished with hooks all 
round. This was raised nearly to the ceiling by a rope and 
a pulley. A hook was passed through the lower bill of each 
duck, and they were drawn up. The wretched old cook 
jokingly said to her mistress they formed a new dish— les 
canards en suspens. I was placed in a basket immediately 
beneath them on the ground. For a time I envied them; 
but I was tired, and I went to sleep. A deep sigh and a 
groan, as of something in pain, awoke me. I hoped I was 
GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, March 10, 1857. 
dreaming, but I heard it again. It was one of my com¬ 
panions—he had only fainted with the pain. All but one 
recovered consciousness. What a scene! They naturally tried 
to fly; the rope allowed a certain play to the iron, and, with 
flapping wings, rushing wind, and stifled cries, it was 
frightful. The cellar and larder were close to the kitchen. 
‘ Hark,’ said the old cook, 4 what is that ?’ ‘ I don’t know,’ 
said the housemaid, crossing herself. ‘ Go and see,’ said 
the cook. ‘ Yes,’ said the housemaid, and ran away in an 
opposite direction. ‘ Ambroise,’ shouted the cook to the 
gardener, ‘ come directly.’ 4 What is it?’ said he, looking in 
at the window. ‘ Come, come,’ said the old cook, pushing 
him before her towards the cellar. The confusion now 
brought out the master and mistress, and all approached 
the door; but the noise of the iron ring working round, the 
curious cries, and the rushing wind, frightened them all. 
4 Bring a light,’ said the master. A candle was brought and 
blown out directly. Here one of my companions released 
himself, and flying among the company dispersed them all. 
The cook fainted, the mistress went into hysterics, and the 
master was going for the Commissary of Police, when the 
released duck gave a plain quack. This ended the mystery, 
and the brutes laughed while the gardener really killed 
them.” Enough of death. 
Let me now speak for myself of what happens in our 
lives, and let me state my complaint. Why is it that we, who 
possess every quality that can be valuable in ducks, have 
not a class to ourselves ? We are often as numerously re¬ 
presented as any others, our breed is as pure, we call our¬ 
selves black ducks, and we lay black eggs. We are prolific, 
excellent for the table, and kept throughout the country. 
It was always understood that when any class became 
sufficiently numerous it should have one to itself at Ex¬ 
hibitions. AVe have done so, but remain with the 44 va¬ 
rieties.” We are mixed up with the nasty Muscovies, the 
inexplicable crosses; the curiosities, such as top-knotted; the 
monstrosities — I once occupied a pen next to a duck with 
three legs; the eccentricities, like Penguins ; the pretty but 
noisy Call Ducks, and the sedate-looking Hoop-bills. 
Mr. Editor, advocate our claims. I pass over the small¬ 
ness of the prizes offered for us; I will be content with that; 
but I contend that we can fill a more numerous, and, con¬ 
sequently, a more remunerating class than either Black or 
White Cochins or Malays. AVe do not ask for large pens ; 
and, above all, we do not want a deep one. Let the different 
Committees offer us prizes, and we will make a good and 
numerous class. We will show our beautiful metallic 
plumage to such advantage, that we shall attract spectators. 
They will thank me for my appeal, and wonder our claims 
were so long overlooked.— Quack. 
FANCY RABBITS. 
I just wish to ask 44 P. B.” a few simple questions. Does 
he (as I suppose from his writing he keeps fancy rabbits) 
strictly conform, in the keeping of his own rabbits, with the 
rules which he lays down for others ? and has he provided a 
suitable house fitted up in such a manner as best to afford 
those comforts and necessaries which their habits require ? 
If he has he can, of course, say, and should have said in his 
letter, that he had tried the plan and found it to succeed, if 
it did. 
Does he know that every animal should be kept as nearly 
as possible in a state of nature? If be knows it, why does 
lie recommend rabbits to be kept in hay chambers ? He 
would just oppose Nature in this instance by keeping a rab¬ 
bit in a hay chamber, when its natural propensity is to live 
in burrows. 
Are his hutches on the same plan as that of which a dia¬ 
gram is annexed to his letter? It seems from its appearance 
to be an expensive one, and the generality of rabbit keepers 
and breeders do not spend their money in buying hutches, 
but on the inmates of them, and have successfully bred and 
kept them in old barrels or tea-chests, which have answered 
all purposes ; and besides, his plan, I have no doubt, will do 
j very well to take them to shows in, but not for them to live 
| generally in. For instance, you have a fine stable fitted up 
with every convenience; yet you could not judiciously keep 
