had now joined Dalison and Heath at the further wicket. "Joyce," he said, abruptly, "I wish you to understand, once and for all, that I won't have you bully little Johnstone in the way you have been doing for the last two or three weeks. I am determined to prevent it."

"Indeed!" returned Joyce, emboldened by the presence of Dalison. "And pray how will you prevent it?"

"If you attempt to thrash him again, I shall interpose to stop you." "In fact you mean you will try to thrash me if I do?"

"Well, yes!" returned Trevor. "I don't wish anything of the kind, unless you force it on me. But I will try it, sooner than allow him to be bullied in that disgraceful manner.'

"I don't know what right you have to say that Dalison and I were bullying him disgracefully."

He looked appealingly at his ally, as he spoke, but to his surprise and discomfiture Dalison only replied, "You had better not bring in my name, if you please. I don't wish to have anything to do with this business."

"Nor do I wish to mix you up with it, George," said Trevor. "It was Joyce whom I saw slashing round at him, and trying to knock him over, if he could; and it is only Joyce with whom I am concerned."

"Very well!" said Joyce, sulkily, "I am sure I wish to have as little to do with you, as you can with me. As for young Johnstone, it will be time enough for you to talk of interfering in his behalf when I do anything to justify it. He is the most impudent young snob in the school; and if he is impudent to me, I shall lick him, whether you like it or not." And so saying, Joyce retired towards the house, covering his retreat, or we may say his defeat, as well as he was able. The other boys followed more slowly, Dalison rather cool and silent, and thinking to himself that if it had not been for his father's letter, it would have afforded him very particular satisfaction to have taken down Trevor's insolence (or what he considered as insolence) a peg or two; and that not impossibly, before many days had past, he would have the satisfaction he desired.

(To be continued.)

POULTRY.

BY THE REV. J. G. WOOD, M.A. F.L.S.

IN

N order that I may not induce the readers of this magazine to keep poultry under the idea that they are likely to make any profit from them, I begin by stating that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred such a hope is a snare and a delusion. Counting chickens before they are hatched is proverbially an uncertain method of estimating assets; and in few matters is this more true than in poultry-keeping.

Nothing is easier than to calculate the number of eggs which a hen ought to lay in the year, the number of chickens which she ought to hatch, and the price which they ought to fetch. You may put it down on paper, and make the array of figures look so pleasant that the philosopher's stone seems scarcely a shorter way to wealth, and the only wonder is that anyone will condescend to be poor.

There is the hen-she costs five or six shillings, say the latter sum ; but she lays a great quantity of eggs in a year, say two hundred, which are at least worth double her cost; then, she will rear a number of chickens, say ten, which, at half-a-crown each, will bring one pound five shillings. As to the food, anything will do; she may have the crumbs and refuse of meals; the slugs, snails, worms, and caterpillars out of the garden; or even damaged rice or corn, which will not cost much, say five shillings. Deduct the five shillings from the one pound seventeen shillings, and you have one pound twelve shillings left, representing a return of 350 per cent. on the original outlay. Then, if a few of the chickens are retained and used for breeding also, the original outlay has not to be made, and the eggs and chickens, and consequently the profits, increase in arithmetical progression. Who would trouble themselves to invest money in a business that only returns a poor twenty per cent., when here is so easy a way of getting three hundred ?

This is, without any exaggeration, the style of reasoning which we hear on the subject, and which is found in more than one book on poultry-breeding. Alnaschar reasoned in a similar manner and on better grounds, for, though he calculated on doubling his capital every

time he sold his goods, his pots and glasses ate no food, and were no expenses beside their original cost.

If the intending fowl-owner happens to have the use of a farmyard, or can use the overplus food of a large establishment, the expense of keep will be so reduced that he may hope to make a little money by his birds, simply because they utilize food which would otherwise be wasted entirely; whereas, if the food must be bought for them, the whole case is altered. The only safe method in calculating certain expenses and possible profit, is to multiply the estimate of the expenses by two, and to diminish that of profits by three-fourths. At the end of the year, when the debtor and creditor accounts are balanced, the result will be found to be very close to the supposition.

Some friends of my own have kept fowls for twenty years, and are thoroughly experienced in their management-knowing exactly how to feed them, where to procure the proper food at a good discount by taking a quantity, and where and how to sell the eggs and chickens which they do not consume at home; yet they say that when they make up their accounts at the end of the year, they find that the fowls have paid their expenses, and no more.

Their object in keeping them is twofold-their first reason being that they like the kindly task, and their second that they can depend on the freshness of the eggs, and never have any trouble with the greengrocer about exchanging bad or doubtful eggs for better.

Whether the reader intends to rear poultry for profit or only for amusement, let me strongly recommend him to keep a special book, and to preserve a debtor and creditor account of their cost and profit, never expending one halfpenny without entering it in the book, and noting the number of eggs and chickens, and whether the latter be male or female. If used at table, they should be entered in the book at the current market prices, which may always be learned by inquiry at the shops. Note down also any deaths that may occur, and the reason for the misfortune, so that precautions may be taken to prevent such a mishap for the future. Their habits should always be observed, and it will be seen that they have as much individuality as human beings, their temperament being as different as their appearance. A poultry-book well kept will be found to be not only amusing but instructive, and will add much to future success.

The first requisite in poultry-keeping is to have a proper house, which should always be floored with gravel, and perfectly dry. Don't let the birds be cooped up in little pens, as they never preserve their health under such circumstances, being essentially active birds, formed more

for walking than for flight, and delighting to use their strong legs. If a gravel floor cannot be obtained, plenty of coarse sand and old mortar ought to be given to the fowls, as without such substances they are unable to grind the corn, rice, and other seeds which they eat, and which would be rolled about unavailingly in the gizzard but for the stones which are continually swallowed.

As to the particular variety of fowl which is to be chosen, it may be left much to the fancy of the intending purchaser. The Dorking variety is always a favourite, as

it is a large, fine bird,
becomes very
very plump
when properly fed, and
is by no means delicate
in health. A Dorking
fowl can always be dis-
tinguished by the fact
that it has five toes on
the feet instead of four.
The white fowls are
considered the most
perfect by fanciers, but
for my own part I take
little interest in the

DORKING FOWLS.

arbitrary requirements of fashion, which is ever changing, and think that a good fowl, like a good horse, can scarcely be of a bad colour.

The huge Cochin China fowl, the giant among poultry, was once quite fashionable, and is still much favoured by some persons. Personally, however, I care little for the bird, as its enormous size has but few real advantages, being obtained more from the bone than the flesh. They are noisy creatures, and their crow is absolutely aggravating, appearing to be all out of tune, and having an unsatisfactory effect on the ear.

One of my friends was formerly much plagued by the noise made by a neighbour's Cochin China cock, and tried various means to quiet him, but without effect. Stones and missiles in general were worse than useless; for, whenever the bird was hit, he took it as a challenge, and crowed defiance to his foe. At last, however, an effectual means was found. Small arrows were made, and instead of being pointed with metal they were tipped with the peculiar fusees called "fixed stars." Whenever the bird began to crow, one of these arrows was shot against the wall of his yard so as to fall near him, and generally ignited by the

friction. The noise and blaze of the fusee were always too much for the feathered stentor, and his voice was hushed for some time.

It is true that Cochins are not very destructive if they get into the garden, because they are lazy birds, and scarcely trouble themselves to scratch up the seeds. But this very characteristic makes them useless to the breeder, and causes an infinity of trouble, as they generally decline to procure food for themselves, and have to be fed by hand.

The Spanish fowl is a splendid creature, very large and handsome, besides being a capital layer. Unfortunately, however, she is a bad sitter, and not good at finding food for her young. Perhaps it is hardly possible to procure a better breed than a mixture between the Dorking and the Spanish, having a few good Dorking hens and one good Spanish cock. The result of this admixture will be a breed of large, fullbodied chickens, which are not only excellent eating, but which, if allowed to live, will produce and rear plenteous families, and lay an abundance of large eggs.

Another variety of poultry which is in great favour is the Polish breed; its peculiar top-knot exciting admiration, though its delicacy of

fowl is that the top-knot actually includes the skull itself, which runs up into a protuberance and somewhat resembles a cottage loaf, so that the brain is of an hour-glass shape. Mr. Frank Buckland has kindly showed me some of his dissections of tufted fowls, and it is most curious to see how completely the skull has been modified in order to obtain the result which is so valued by fanciers.

Game fowls are very handsome, clean-made, sprightly birds, but I scarcely recommend them to a beginner, because they are so quarrel