564 
FANCIERS’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
previous season, and thinking that the cock mainly imparts 
the fancy points, I thought there would be little risk. 
Now for the result: On an average, 90 per cent, of the 
eggs hatched, and when I got thirty-five chicks I stopped 
setting. Of the thirty-five chicks, fourteen were cockerels; 
those produced from the hens with thick combs, had combs 
for the most part worty or doubled at the end. The chicks 
from the white hen were five in number ; three of them 
being pullets. They were almost black when hatched and 
unusually large. All were very promising, but, as I feared, 
the largest cockerel is now putting out abundance of red 
feathers in the hackles and back ; the other cockerel being- 
inclined to a dominique marking, especially on the under- 
part. The pullets are as large for their age as those a month 
older, and so far are sound in color. One point worth notic- 
ing, is the fact that all the chicks are passably feathered on 
legs and toes, some of them being inclined to vulture hocks. 
Two cockerels of the first brood are feathered on the second 
toes and neither of them had any down on the second toes 
when hatched. If all goes well I expect to have a yard 
which will be a pride to look at. 
And now a few words as to their merits. In respect to 
beauty I do not think they can be surpassed by any Cochin. 
A bird in fine condition is not easily forgotten. The beau- 
tiful arched comb, with delicate hanging ear-lobes and 
rounded wattles, all brilliantly red, present a fine contrast 
to the glossy green-black plumage. They have only to be 
seen to be admired. I have frequently heard the remark 
from passers by: “ Young man, them ’ere Black Spanish o’ 
yours is pretty ; I used to keep them. They was never 
tired layen.” 
In regard to laying they are very much like other Coch- 
ins, with the exception that they do not want to hatch so 
often. About the first week in January they would lay on 
an average three eggs per week, increasing afterwards to 
four or five per week, until May, when a fourth of them 
would desire to hatch, and the others to rest a while. They 
are remarkably hardy, and easy to raise — -so much so that I 
am not aware I ever lost a chick over a week old, and I 
have never seen a case of gapes among them, while other 
chicks were gaping around in the same yard. 1 have had 
twenty-five or more fowls die with cholera and canker, but 
never lost a Black Cochin — all having access to the same 
grass run. 
The cocks are perfect tyrants, when put in the same yard 
with Buff or Partridge cocks. One day a half-game cock 
flew over from a neighbor’s yard and got badly thrashed, 
while the Black cock had only breath left to crow. Another 
Black cock was attacked during my absence, by two mon- 
grel cocks in succession, and whipped them both. I sent 
a promising cockerel to a friend’s yard, who kept five 
or six mongrel cocks. Next day a message came to me, 
requesting me to take away “ that black savage, as he was 
murdering every cock in the yard.” So much for pluck. 
Mr. "Wright tells us that good specimens of Black Coch- 
ins used to be shown in England during the “ mania,” but 
that they became nearly extinct from the impossibility of 
keeping them free from reddish or golden feathers in their 
second year. My experience, and as far as I have heard, 
is that the reddish feathers appear when the bird has attained 
its adult plumage. He goes on to speak of them as being 
weedy and stilty, and comparatively bare of leg feather, 
but that one or two breeders meant to revive them if they 
could procure passable stock. This seems to be verified, 
inasmuch as a separate class was made for them last year 
at Oxford, the Crystal Palace, and I think Birmingham 
shows. At the Crystal Palace show, eight prizes were 
offered for the best birds, besides a five guinea silver cup 
for the best hen, a four guinea silver cup for the best cock- 
erel, and the same for the best pullet. A friend informs 
me by letter, that while the cocks are stilty, the hens he 
has seen are generally good in shape. 
I have no doubt but that they will be well established on 
both sides of the Atlantic before many years. They need 
only to be seen to be admired, and known to be apprecia- 
ted. They are suitable for the dwellers in city or country, 
and are alike beautiful in both. 
I am satisfied with the description of Black Cochins in 
the New Standard of Excellence, so far as it goes, but do 
not think it goes far enough ; and would, therefore, with all 
deference, suggest the following : 
COCK AND HEN. 
Beak . — Yellow and black, or dark horn color. 
Comb, Face, Deaj-ear , and Wattles. — Brilliant red. 
Eyes. — Deep bay, red, dark-brown, or pearl. Colors pre- 
ferred in order named. 
Plumage. — Rich glossy black, with a metallic green lustre 
on the hackles, back, wings, and tail of the cock. Under 
color of both, gray-black. 
Legs. — Yellow shaded with black, or nearly black, on 
front of legs; while in wings, tail, or feet feathers of cock, 
highly objectionable, but not a disqualification. 
SCALE OF POINTS. 
Symmetry, 10 
Size and weight, 15 
Color and under color, 20 
Head, comb, wattles, and deaf-ear, ... 15 
Carriage of wings, 8 
Legs, and leg feathering, 7 
Size and carriage of tail, ...... 5 
Condition and depth of plumage, . 10 
Cushion and fluff, .10 
100 
DISQUALIFICATIONS IN BLACK COCHINS. 
Birds not matching in pen, or with primary wing- 
feathers twisted outside the wing ; twisted combs ; crooked 
backs ; birds without feathers on the legs ; vulture hocks 
are particularly objectionable ; wry tails; cocks not weigh- 
ing nine pounds ; hens not weighing seven and a half 
pounds; cockerels not weighing seven and a half pounds; 
pullets not weighing six pounds; red feathers in any part 
of the plumage. Geo. C. Atiiole. 
152d St., New York, July, 1874. 
HENS COOKING THEIR EGGS (?) 
Dear Editor: Only a few words this time. Let’s see 
about the old hen cooking eggs in her nest, causing them to 
burst, as stated on page 533 of No. 34 Fanciers’ Journal. The 
white of an egg, dissolved in water by stirring, requires a 
temperature of 180° Fahrenheit before it will cook or be- 
come insoluble. This is only 32° below boiling-point. In 
order to cook eggs in the shell, by applying heat to one side 
only, from 15° to 25° more heat would be required, which 
seems to me to be rather more than an old hen could endure. 
O pshaw 1 she never gets hot enough to cook eggs. 
Only one point more : If we close the pores of the shell 
