THE GOLDEN POLANDS. These are sometimes called Gold Spangled, as their plumage approaches to that of the Gold Spangled Hamburghs; but many of the finest specimens have the feathers merely fringed with a darker color, and the c.o.c.ks, more frequently than the hens, exhibit a spotted or spangled appearance. Many of them are disfigured by a m.u.f.f or beard; as to which the question has been raised whether it is an original appendage to these birds or not. A distinct race, of which the m.u.f.f is one permanent characteristic, is not at present known. This appendage, whenever introduced into the poultry-yard, is not easily got rid of; which has caused some to suspect either that the original Polish were beardless, or that there were two ancient races.
The Golden Polands, when well-bred, are exceedingly handsome; the c.o.c.k has golden hackles, and gold and brown feathers on the back; breast and wings richly spotted with ochre and dark brown; tail darker; large golden and brown crest, falling back over the neck; but little comb and wattles. The hen is richly laced with dark-brown or black on an ochre ground; dark-spotted crest; legs light-blue, very cleanly made, and displaying a small web between the toes, almost as proportionately large as that in some of the waders.
They are good layers, and produce fair-sized eggs. Many of them make excellent mothers, although they cannot be induced to sit early in the season. The chickens are rather clumsy-looking little creatures, of a dingy-brown, with some dashes of ochre about the head, breast and wings.
They are sometimes inclined to disease in the first week of their existence; but, if they pa.s.s this successfully, they become tolerably hardy, though liable to come to a pause when about half-grown. It may be noted as a peculiarity in the temper of this breed, that, if one is caught, or attacked by any animal, the rest, whether c.o.c.ks or hens, will instantly make a furious attack upon the aggressor, and endeavor to effect the rescue of their companion.
THE SILVER POLANDS. These are similar to the preceding in shape and markings, except that white, black, and gray are exchanged for ochre or yellow, and various shades of brown. They are even more delicate in their const.i.tution, more liable to remain stationary at a certain point of their adolescence, and, still more than the other varieties, require and will repay extra care and accommodation. Their top-knots are, perhaps, not so large, as a general thing; but they retain the same neat bluish legs and slightly-webbed feet. The hens are much more ornamental than the c.o.c.ks; though the latter are sure to attract notice. They may, unquestionably, be ranked among the choicest of fowls, whether their beauty or their rarity is considered. They lay, in tolerable abundance, eggs of moderate size, French-white, much pointed at one end; and when they sit, acquit themselves respectably.
The newly-hatched chickens are very pretty; gray, with black eyes, light lead-colored legs, and a swelling of down on the crown of the head, indicative of the future top-knot, which is exactly the color of a powdered wig, and, indeed, gives the chicken the appearance of wearing one. There is no difficulty in rearing them for the first six weeks or two months; the critical time being the interval between that age and their reaching the fifth or sixth month. They acquire their peculiar distinctive features at a very early age, and are then the most elegant little miniature fowls which can possibly be imagined. The distinction of s.e.x is not very manifest till they are nearly full-grown; the first observable indication being in the tail. That of the pullet is carried uprightly, as it ought to be; but in the c.o.c.kerel, it remains depressed, awaiting the growth of the sickle-feathers. The top-knot of the c.o.c.kerel inclines to hang more backward than that of the pullets. It is remarkable that the Golden Polish c.o.c.k produces as true Silver chickens, and those stronger, with the Silver Polish hen, as the Silver Polish c.o.c.k would bring.
The Silver Polands have all the habits of their golden companions, the main difference being the silvery ground instead of the golden. This variety will sometimes make its appearance even if merely its Golden kind is bred, precisely as the Black Polish now and then produce some pure White chickens that make very elegant birds.
THE BLACK-TOPPED WHITE. This variety does not at present exist among us; and some have even questioned whether it ever did. Buffon mentions them as if extant in France in his time. An attempt has been made to obtain them from the preceding, by acting on the imagination of the parents.
The experiment failed, though similar schemes are said to have succeeded with animals; it proved, however, that it will not do to breed from the White Polish as a separate breed. Being Albinos, the chickens come very weakly, and few survive.
This breed is now recoverable, probably, only by importation from Asia.
THE SHANGHAE.
For all the purposes of a really good fowl--for beauty of model, good size, and laying qualities--the thorough-bred Shanghae is among the best, and generally the most profitable of domestic birds. The c.o.c.k, when full-grown, stands about twenty-eight inches high, if he is a good specimen; the female, about twenty-two or twenty-three inches. A large comb or heavy wattles are rarely seen on the hen at any age; but the comb of the male is high, deeply indented, and his wattles double and large. The comb and wattles are not, however, to be regarded as the chief characteristics of this variety, nor even its reddish-yellow feathered leg; but the abundant, soft, and downy covering of the thighs, hips, and region of the vent, together with the remarkably short tail, and large mound of feathers piled over the upper part of its root, giving rise to a considerable elevation on that part of the rump. It should be remarked, also, that the wings are quite short and small in proportion to the size of the fowl, and carried very high up the body, thus exposing the whole of the thighs, and a considerable portion of the side.
[Ill.u.s.tration: SHANGHAES.]
These characteristics are not found, in the same degree, in any other fowl. The peculiar arrangement of feathers gives the Shanghae in appearance, what it has in reality--a greater depth of quarter, in proportion to the brisket, than any other fowl.
As to the legs, they are not very peculiar. The color is usually reddish-white, or flesh-color, or reddish-yellow, mostly covered down the outside, even to the end of the toes, with feathers. This last, however, is not always the case. The plumage of the thorough-bred is remarkably soft and silky, or rather downy; and is, in the opinion of many, equally as good for domestic purposes as that of the goose. The feathers are certainly quite as fine and soft, if not as abundant.
In laying qualities, the pure Shanghae equals, if it does not excel, any other fowl. The Black Poland, or the Bolton Gray, may, perhaps, lay a few more eggs in the course of a year, in consequence of not so frequently inclining to sit; but their eggs are not so rich and nutritious. A pullet of this breed laid one hundred and twenty eggs in one hundred and twenty-five days, then stopped six days, then laid sixteen eggs more, stopped four days, and again continued her laying.
The eggs are generally of a pale yellow, or nankeen color, not remarkably large, compared with the size of the fowl, and generally blunt at the ends. The comb is commonly single, though, in some specimens, there is a slight tendency to rose.
The flesh of this fowl is tender, juicy, and unexceptionable in every respect. Taking into consideration the goodly size of the Shanghae--weighing, as the males do, at maturity, from ten to twelve pounds, and the females from seven and a half to eight and a half, and the males and females of six months, eight and six pounds respectively--the economical uses to which its soft, downy feathers may be applied, its productiveness, hardiness, and its quiet and docile temper, this variety must occupy, and deservedly so, a high rank among our domestic fowls; and the more it is known, the better will it be appreciated.
THE WHITE SHANGHAE. This variety is entirely white, with the legs usually feathered, and differ in no material respect from the red, yellow, and Dominique, except in color. The legs are yellowish, or reddish-yellow, and sometimes of flesh-color. Many prefer them to all others. The eggs are of a nankeen, or dull yellow color, and blunt at both ends.
[Ill.u.s.tration: WHITE SHANGHAES.]
It is claimed by the friends of this variety that they are larger and more quiet than other varieties, that their flesh is much superior, their eggs larger, and the hens more profitable. Being more quiet in their habits, and less inclined to ramble, the hens are invaluable as incubators and nurses; and the mildness of their disposition makes them excellent foster-mothers, as they never injure the chickens belonging to other hens.
These fowls will rank among the largest coming from China, and are very thrifty in our climate. A c.o.c.k of this variety attained a weight of eight pounds, at about the age of eight months, and the pullets of the same brood were proportionably large. They are broad on the back and breast, with a body well rounded up; the plumage white, with a downy softness--in the latter respect much like the feathering of the Bremen goose; the tail-feathers short and full; the head small, surmounted by a small, single, serrated comb; wattles long and wide, overlaying the cheek-piece, which is also large, and extends back on the neck; and the legs of a yellow hue, approaching a flesh-color, and feathered to the ends of the toes.
THE SILVER PHEASANT.
This variety of fowls is remarkable for great brilliancy of plumage and diversity of colors. On a white ground, which is usually termed silvery, there is an abundance of black spots. The feathers on the upper part of the head are much longer than the rest, and unite together in a tuft.
They have a small, double comb, and their wattles are also comparatively small. A remarkable peculiarity of the c.o.c.k is, that there is a spot of a blue color on the cheeks, and a range of feathers under the throat, which has the appearance of a collar.
The hen is a smaller bird, with plumage similar to that of the c.o.c.k, and at a little distance seems to be covered with scales. On the head is a top-knot of very large size, which droops over it on every side. The Silver Pheasants are beautiful and showy birds, and chiefly valuable as ornamental appendages to the poultry-yard.
THE SPANISH.
[Ill.u.s.tration: SPANISH FOWLS.]
This name is said to be a misnomer, as the breed in question was originally brought by the Spaniards from the West Indies; and, although subsequently propagated in Spain, it has for some time been very difficult to procure good specimens from that country. From Spain, they were taken in considerable numbers into Holland, where they have been carefully bred, for many years; and it is from that quarter that our best fowls of this variety come.
The Spanish is a n.o.ble race of fowls, possessing many merits; of spirited and animated appearance; of considerable size; excellent for the table, both in whiteness of flesh and skin, and also in flavor; and laying exceedingly large eggs in considerable numbers. Among birds of its own breed it is not deficient in courage; though it yields, without showing much fight, to those which have a dash of game blood in their veins. It is a general favorite in all large cities, for the additional advantage that no soil of smoke or dirt is apparent on its plumage.
The thorough-bred birds should be entirely black, as far as feathers are concerned; and when in high condition, display a greenish, metallic l.u.s.tre. The combs of both c.o.c.k and hen are exceedingly large, of a vivid and most brilliant scarlet; that of the hen droops over upon one side.
Their most singular feature is a large, white patch, or ear-hole, on the cheek--in some specimens extending over a great part of the face--of a fleshy substance, similar to the wattle; it is small in the female, but large and very conspicuous in the male. This marked contrast of black, bright red, and white, makes the breed of the Spanish c.o.c.k as handsome as that of any variety which we have; in the genuine breed, the whole form is equally good.
Spanish hens are celebrated as good layers, and produce very large, quite white eggs, of a peculiar shape, being very thick at both ends, and yet tapering off a little at each. They are, by no means, good mothers of families, even when they do sit--which they will not often condescend to do--proving very careless, and frequently trampling half their brood under foot. The inconveniences of this habit are, however, easily obviated by causing the eggs to be hatched by some more motherly hen.
This variety of fowl has frequently been known to lose nearly all the feathers in its body, besides the usual quant.i.ty on the neck, wings, and tail; and, if they moult late, and the weather is severe, they feel it much. This must often happen in the case of an "everlasting layer;" for if the system of a bird is exhausted by the unremitting production of eggs, it cannot contain within itself the material for supplying the growth of feathers. They have not, even yet, become acclimated in this country, since continued frost at any time is productive of much injury to their combs; frequently causing mortification in the end, which at times terminates in death. A warm poultry-house, high feeding, and care that they do not remain too long exposed to severe weather, are the best means of preventing this disfigurement. Some birds are occasionally produced, handsomely streaked with red on the hackle and back. This is no proof of bad breeding, if other points are right.
The chickens are large, as would be expected from such eggs, entirely shining black, except a pinafore of white on the breast--in which respect they are precisely like the Black Polish chickens--and a slight sprinkling under the chin, with sometimes also a little white round the back and eyes; their legs and feet are black. Many of them do not get perfectly feathered till they are three-fourths grown; and, therefore, to have this variety come to perfection in a country where the summers are much shorter than in their native climate, they must be hatched early in spring, so that they may be well covered with plumage before the cold rains of autumn. There is, however, a great lack of uniformity in the time when they get their plumage; the pullets are always earlier and better feathered than the c.o.c.kerels--the latter being generally half naked for a considerable time after being hatched, though some feather tolerably well at an early age.
The _Black_ is not the only valuable race of Spanish fowl; there is, also, the _Gray_, or _Speckled_, of a slaty gray color, with white legs.
Their growth is so rapid, and their size, eventually, so large, that they are remarkably slow in obtaining their feathers. Although well covered with down when first hatched, they look almost naked when half-grown, and should, therefore, be hatched as early in spring as possible. The cross between the Pheasant-Malay and the Spanish produces a particularly handsome fowl.
As early pullets, for laying purposes in the autumn and winter after they are hatched, no fowls can surpa.s.s the Spanish. They are believed, also, to be more precocious in their const.i.tution; and consequently to lay at an earlier age than the pullets of other breeds.
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF DOMESTIC FOWLS.
Fowls are cla.s.sed by modern naturalists as follows:
DIVISION. _Vertebrata_--possessing a back bone.
CLa.s.s. _Aves_--birds.
ORDER. _Rasores_--sc.r.a.pers.
FAMILY. _Phasianidae_--Pheasants.
GENUS. _Gallus_--the c.o.c.k.
Birds, as well as quadrupeds, may be divided into two great cla.s.ses, according to their food: the Carnivorous and the Graminivorous. Fowls belong, strictly speaking, to the latter.
In the structure of the _digestive organs_, birds exhibit a great uniformity. The [oe]sophagus, which is often very muscular, is dilated into a large sac--called the _crop_--at its entrance into the breast; this is abundantly supplied with glands, and serves as a species of first stomach, in which the food receives a certain amount of preparation before being submitted to the action of the proper digestive organs. A little below the crop, the narrow [oe]sophagus is again slightly dilated, forming what is called the _ventriculus succenturiatus_, the walls of which are very thick, and contain a great number of glands, which secrete the gastric juice. Below this, the intestinal ca.n.a.l is enlarged into a third stomach, the _gizzard_, in which the process of digestion is carried still farther. In the graminivorous birds, the walls of this cavity are very thick and muscular, and clothed internally with a strong, h.o.r.n.y _epithelium_, serving for the trituration of the food. The intestine is rather short, but usually exhibits several convolutions; the large intestine is always furnished with two _corea_. It opens by a semicircular orifice into the _cloaca_, which also receives the orifices of the urinary and generative organs. The liver is of large size, and usually furnished with a gall-bladder. The pancreas is lodged in a kind of loop, formed by the small intestine immediately after quitting the gizzard. There are also large salivary glands in the neighborhood of the mouth, which pour their secretion into that cavity.
The _organs of circulation and respiration_ in birds are adapted to their peculiar mode of life; but are not separated from the abdominal cavity by a diaphragm, as in the mammalia. The heart consists of four cavities distinctly separated--two auricles and two ventricles--so that the venous and arterial blood can never mix in that organ; and the whole of the blood returned from the different parts of the body pa.s.ses through the lungs before being again driven into the systemic arteries.
The blood is received from the veins of the body in the right auricle, from which it pa.s.ses through a tabular opening into the right ventricle, and is thence driven into the lungs. From these organs it returns through the pulmonary veins into the left auricle, and pa.s.ses thence into the ventricles of the same side, by the contraction of which it is driven into the aorta. This soon divides into two branches, which, by their subdivision, give rise to the arteries of the body.
_The jaws_, or mandibles, are sheathed in a h.o.r.n.y case, usually of a conical form, on the sides of which are the nostrils. In most birds, the sides of this sheath or bill are smooth and sharp; but in some they are denticulated along the margins. The two anterior members of the body are extended into wings. The beak is used instead of hands; and such is the flexibility of the vertebral column, that the bird is able to touch with its beak every part of its body. This curious and important result is obtained chiefly by the lengthened vertebrae of the neck, which, in the swan, consists of twenty-three bones, and in the domestic c.o.c.k, thirteen. The vertebrae of the back are seven to eleven; the ribs never exceed ten on each side.
The clothing of the skin consists of _feathers_, which in their nature and development resemble hair, but are of a more complicated structure.
A perfect feather consists of the _shaft_, a central stem, which is tubular at the base, where it is inserted into the skin, and the _barbs_, or fibres, which form the _webs_ on each side of the shaft. The two princ.i.p.al modifications of feathers are _quills_ and _plumes_; the former confined to the wings and tail, the latter const.i.tuting the general clothing of the body. Besides the common feathers, the skin of many birds is covered with a thick coating of down, which consists of a mult.i.tude of small feathers of peculiar construction; each of these down feathers is composed of a very small, soft tube imbedded in the skin, from the interior of which there rises a small tuft of soft filaments, without any central shaft. These filaments are very slender, and bear on each side a series of still more delicate filaments, which may be regarded as a.n.a.logous to the barbules of the ordinary feathers. This downy coat fulfils the same office as the soft, woolly fur of many quadrupeds; the ordinary feathers being a.n.a.logous to the long, smooth hair by which the fur of these animals is concealed. The skin also bears many hair-like appendages, which are usually scattered sparingly over its surface; they rise from a bulb which is imbedded in the skin, and usually indicate their relation to the ordinary feathers by the presence of a few minute barbs toward the apex.
Once or twice in the course of a year the whole plumage of the bird is renewed, the casting of the old feathers being called _moulting_. The base of the quills is covered by a series of large feathers, called the _wing coverts_; and the feathers of the tail are furnished with numerous muscles, by which they can be spread out and folded up like a fan. In the aquatic birds--like the goose, the duck, and the swan--the feathers are constantly lubricated by an oily secretion, which completely excludes the water.
In their reproduction, birds are strictly oviparous. The _eggs_ are always enclosed in a hard sh.e.l.l, consisting of calcareous matter, and birds almost invariably devote their whole attention, during the breeding season, to the hatching of their eggs and the development of their offspring; sitting constantly upon the eggs to communicate to them the degree of warmth necessary for the evolution of the embryo, and attending to the wants of their newly-hatched young, until the latter are in a condition to shift for themselves.