Ill] 



Compound Characters 



61 



The Combs of Fowls. 



In the first place we are concerned with the following 

 types : 



Single comb. The high, serrated comb which is familiar 

 to everybody is called by fanciers a single comb (Fig. 12 A). 

 It is the type found in Gallus bankiva and I believe all the 

 wild species, and we are fairly safe in regarding it as the 

 primitive or original form from which all the others have 

 been derived. It is the characteristic comb of Leghorns, 

 Minorcas, and many other breeds. 



Fig. 12. Various types of combs in Fowls. 



A. Single Comb : cock. 



B. Pea Comb : cock. 



C. Pea Comb : hen. 



D. Rose Comb : (Bantam) cock. 



E. Walnut comb in a young cock. This is the type in Malays, and 



can be produced by crossing Rose x Pea. 



Pea Comb. This comb (Fig. 12 B, C) differs from the 

 single in being much lower and closer to the head. It has 

 no spike-shaped serrations, but merely rounded lumpy pro- 

 jections along the middle line. In addition to these there 

 is a characteristic development of similar lumps or tubercles 

 on each side usually uniting to form a more or less definite 



