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PARROTS

are not native talking birds, but as they do attempt "to murder the Queen's English" at times, with their head-aching screams of 'Pretty Polly," and such like, which sounds as if they wanted a piece of fat bacon pulling up and down their throats with a string to clear their voices; and as they are such favourites with those good old aunts and maiden ladies, who " tip" so handsomely when they come to see us at school, we must say a few words about how they are to be fed and managed. Parrots require large cages, for when in health they are restless jades, and seem ever upon the move; the perches should also be thick as the grasp of their claws is rather large. Polly must also have a ring to swing upon; and when you have procured her all these comforts, and put your face to the cage for her to give you a kiss, perhaps the hooked-nosed traitress will nip off the end of your nose and disfigure you for life. Their food should never be placed in metal pans, but in either earthen or glass vessels. They are fond of bread or biscuit soaked in milk, especially if given to them before it is quite cold; boiled Indian corn is also excellent diet for parrots. They will eat almost any kind of wholesome seed or grain, and are very partial to nuts. The grey parrot, which is about the size of a pigeon, is considered the best talker, though the green parrot bears away the bell for beauty. By-the-way, we may as well tell you that the hackneyed phrase of "bearing away the bell" originated in the prize given in former times to the winner of a horserace, which instead of consisting of a gold or silver cup, as is now given, was generally a silver bell.

Parrots require to be kept very clean and although they will eat it readily enough, animal food ought never to be given them. The bottom of their cage ought always to be strewn with sandy gravel, which should be changed at least every other day. Holstein says, "The ugly brutes ought to be supplied with small-toothed combs, and compelled to use them," but he hated parrots: there is something on record about his wringing the neck of one because he could not study for the noise it made, and that his aunt left him the stuffed parrot as a legacy and nothing besides, so you see why he wrote so bitterly about parrots. They are certainly not the pleasantest companions when we are suffering from headache, or when wearied and ill, and having passed a sleepless night through the toothache, we are just sinking into a gentle doze, then we wish the cry of "Pretty Polly" was sounding over the Red Sea, and think the best food that can be given them is arsenic soaked in prussic acid. But there is one comfort after all, they are not English talking birds.

"A yard she had with pales enclosed about,
Some high, some low, and a dry ditch without.
Within this homestead lived, without a peer,
For crowing loud, the noble chanticleer;
High was his comb, and coral-red withal,
In dents embattled, like a castle wall:
His bill was raven-black, and shone like jet;
Blue were his legs, and orient were his feet,
White were his nails, like silver to behold,

His body glittering like to burnished gold."

THE beautiful lines above, descriptive of the old English farm-yard cock, were modernized by Dryden and not at all improved, if compared with the original, written by Chaucer, author of the "Canterbury Tales," who was buried in Westminster Abbey in the year 1400. It is beyond doubt the finest word-painting of Chanticleer ever penned by poet. Poultry are not only pretty, but profitable." Every boy is fond of a new-laid egg now and then, and what a smile there is on the mother's or sister's face after it has been decided that a pudding shall be made for dinner, when you bring in the basin of eggs unexpectedly, having more than you require the hens to sit on. Then it is an interesting sight to see the hen with her little brood of chicks, to notice what care she takes of them, and, above all, to know that Our Saviour looked upon the same objects and said to a rebellious race, "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings;" but He tells us they would not come. Then think of the beautiful passage about the hen lifting up her head to heaven every time she drinks, in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress;" but were we to point out a

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thousandth portion of the descriptions of these beautiful domestic birds, we should fill the whole of the space allowed for our present brief article.

COMMON FOWLS

are supposed to be of eastern origin, although we doubt it very much, for if not brought over by the Romans when they invaded England, they were well known to the early Saxons soon after their departure, and also to the ancient Britons anterior to their time. Every boy knows what splendid-looking creatures the bantam cock and hen are, and has seen them so often, that we need not dwell upon the graceful fall of the hackles of the cock, sometimes looking like a golden cape thrown over his neck, the fine arching sweep of his tail, his tiara of comb, and the proud round sweep of his breast, for every boy has seen and admired him many a time and oft.

GAME FOWLS

are not set so much store by now as they were in the brutal days of cock-fighting, bull and badger-baiting, all of which cruel and disgraceful recreations, or sports, as they were wrongfully called, have passed away. The game-cock, especially the red, is a gorgeous bird, and beautifully formed, and so brave, if thorough-bred, that he will never run, but fight till he dies, and even in the death struggle try to lift up his armed heel or peck at his conqueror.

DORKING FOWLS

are well-known Surrey birds, valued most when of a pure white, and readily known through having five claws on each foot. They not only lay splendid eggs, but have quite a pleasant appearance when either boiled or roasted, the "sniff" of which is delightful to a hungry boy, who, forgetting all about their plumage, seizes his knife and fork and defaces their neat anatomy, without having even the courtesy to say "by your leave." They are among the largest of our common poultry.

THE BANTAM,

or DWARF COCK, is the smallest of all gallinaceous birds, but in pugnacity and pluck is equal to most, as it will fight to the last with one much larger and more powerful than itself. Its tiny size, pretty plumage, and high-spirited bearing, as it struts

"Royal as a prince is in his hall,"

have made it a very general favourite, and caused its elevation to the rank of a fancy bird. The rules respecting the colours and sorting of the feathers, general carriage, and other properties, as settled by fanciers, are the following:-For colours, nankeen and black are the most prized; if the bird is of the first colour, the edges of his feathers should be black, tail feathers black, breast feathers black with white edges, wings barred with purple, and his hackles or neck feathers slightly tinged with purple; and if of the second colour, no feathers of any tint should break the uniform yellow tone;

F

in carriage he should be free and spirited, and in general properties he should have a rose comb, full hackles, and full-feathered tail, and his legs quite clean, bright in colour, and wholly free from feathers; in weight he must not exceed a pound. The hens must be small, and correspond in plumage with the cock, and like him be cleanlegged. Such is considered a genuine fancy bird. Those which are called after Sir John Seabright are another beautiful variety, and there are a third variety, which are spotted and streaked like a partridge, while the hens lay pheasant-coloured eggs.

POLISH FOWLS

are of a brilliant black colour, with white toppings on their heads, which are flat and surmounted with a fleshy appendage, from which the crown-feathers spring. They are more trouble than common fowls, more subject to disease, and require more warmth. Their topknots require clipping, or they fall down if allowed to grow too long, and prevent the birds from seeing.

MALAY FOWLS,

generally called Chittagong, are an Indian variety; large in size, in colour yellow streaked and dark brown, have long necks, are small-headed, and stand high on the legs. The hens, if well fed, lay immense eggs.

SPANISH FOWLS.

Every boy knows these beautiful birds, with their black plumage, loose comb often hanging gracefully down. For gaudy colouring, the gold and silver-spangled bear the palm; but they are not pure Spanish, and have been mixed with the Polish fowls, though when fine they are considered of great value. Spanish hens, though they lay large eggs, seldom sit well.

PERSIAN FOWLS.

These lay well, but are nothing to look at, having no tails, and looking like poultry in boy's jackets, and never to be honoured with a lappel coat. They are ugly enough to be eaten.

COCHIN-CHINA FOWLS.

These are monster birds, the cock often reaching the height of two feet, and the hen only some four or five inches under that standard. The buff and cinnamon-coloured are the greatest favourites, though the white ones at times realize immense prices. There was quite a rage for keeping these birds some few years ago, which of late has much abated, as every "nobody" took to rearing CochinChinas, and many a curse did they call forth in the night in drowsyheaded neighbourhoods, as no one could get any sleep for their dreadful crowing, as they do not crow in English, but in the Chinese tongue, and their crowing sounds like something between the cross of a shriek and a whistle, such as Commissioner Yeh gave when seized by his pigtail.

HOW TO CHOOSE STOCK.

Always breed from young stock: pullets in their second year, and a stag or cock two years old, are the best ages to commence with; for a hen is in her prime when three years of age, and begins to decline after the fifth year. Never select a hen for sitting that imitates the cock in her crowing, and has a large comb; such a hen is of no use as a breeder. Yellow-legged fowls are seldom robust; those that have eyes which sparkle like diamonds, and combs red as a ruby, and are bold, fierce, and active, are the fowls to breed from, for these are sure signs of good health. Spring is the best time to lay in your stock, and one cock to nine hens is the best. Old fowls are stiff in the feathers-stumpy, as it is called-have large scales on their legs, comb and gills full, and of a dull dead whitey-red colour. Be sure, when purchasing stock, to look out for these marks, and have nothing to do with such birds.

HOW TO FEED FOWLS.

Fowls will eat either vegetable or animal food, when allowed to run about; they feed greedily on worms and insects of almost any kind, and would no doubt gobble up an alligator or a boa-constrictor, if they could get them into their crops, and "grind their bones to make their bread" in their gritty gizzards. Barley, oats, tares, peas, millet, and sunflower seeds, form their favourite food; they must also be supplied occasionally with green meat-grass, if nothing better can be had. They must always have plenty of clean water to run to whenever they please. They should be fed regularly twice a day. A handful of boiled potatoes and carrots mashed small, will at times, as the old countrywomen say, "do them a world of good." Fowls should be permitted to range in the open air during the day as much as possible, and their habitations for the night be warm, dry, clean, and well ventilated; and there must be perches for the birds to roost upon, and also boxes, having fine soft hay or short straw inside, in which they may build their nests. A piece of chalk may be put into each box as a nest egg, and it is necessary to take the real eggs away as soon as they are laid. When some of the hens by clucking evince a desire to sit, they should be kept in a box apart from their companions, with from five to nine, or at most eleven, eggs to hatch. Old nests should never be used, and the boxes in which the birds are put up must be clean. Incubation continues for twenty-one days, and during that period food and water must be placed near the nests, that the hens may eat and drink without having to go far for the purpose, so that the eggs may not chill. The food proper for the little chicks consists of split grits, chopped curds, and eggs boiled hard and cut into very small pieces; as they increase in size, they should gradually be brought on to eat the same food as full-grown fowls, which is tail-wheat, barley, oats, &c. Water must be furnished them in little shallow pans, so that the chicks may drink without hopping into the water, and so wet their feet and