MOUBRAY'S TREATISE ON DOMESTIC AND ORNAMENTAL POULTRY. A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE HISTORY, BREEDING, REARING, FEEDING, FATTENING, AND - Lew Edition, Revised and greatly Enlarged, BY L. A. MEALL. TO WHICH IS ADDED, THE DISEASES OF POULTRY, WITH PHYSIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIMENTS, BY F. R. HORNER, ESQ., M. D. WITH COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS. LONDON: ARTHUR HALL, VIRTUE, AND CO., 25, PATERNOSTER ROW. 1854. No apology is offered for adding another to the already numerous volumes issued of late in the department of poultry literature: the sale of nine previous editions of the original Treatise is considered sufficient to justify the Publishers in producing a new and enlarged work, adapted to the requirements of the present day. The value and practical utility of the Treatise is established by the fact, that its pages have been liberally and unscrupulously drawn upon by subsequent writers, who have gladly, though unthankfully, availed themselves of the great store of original information it contained. Of his own labours (which have not been light) the Editor would only remark, that he has made no attempt, by the aid of fine writing, to invest the subject with an undue interest, his sole object having been to follow in the Author's steps, and to produce as useful and practical a work as possible, from which the novice, and perhaps the experienced amateur, may derive information and assistance in the pursuit of poultrykeeping. Discarding all preconceived notions and prejudices, he has not been content to take anything upon trust, merely because long popularly accepted; and every fact and statement capable of being investigated, has been subjected, whenever practicable, to the test of every-day experience. Whether he has succeeded in his task, the reader will be the best judge. It is a matter of regret with him, that much interesting matter has been necessarily omitted, as the insertion would have involved the extension of the volume to unreasonable limits. Of the pictorial department of the work, the Editor may speak with more freedom and confidence. The portraits (nearly all from life) were drawn by Mr. C. J. Winter, of Great Yarmouth, and as far as he can judge, the Editor believes that the life, character, and truthfulness imparted to them, render them inferior to none that have yet appeared. Gt. Yarmouth, L. A. M. CONTENTS. I. PRIMITIVE Domestication and early Notices of Fowls III. Domestication of Fowls in England.-Importance of Poultry socially and economically considered IV. Natural History of Gallinaceous Birds.-Classifica- tion, Nomenclature, and Colours of Fowls.-Species and Varieties.-Wild Species V. Description of the different Species of Fowls continued. . 51 73 . 200 VII. Economic Value of Poultry for the Table-Produce -Relative qualities of Fowls-Profit-Choice of Stock 321 |