CHAPTER VI. 



BOOTING. 



The method of inlieritance of the feathering on the feet of some poultry- 

 has already been made the subject of much study. Hurst (1905, p. 152) 

 crossed booted and non-booted birds and bred the hybrids together. He 

 concluded that "the MendeUan principles are at work in these aberrant 

 phenomena, but are masked by something not yet perceived." My own 

 conclusion (1906, p. 72) was: "Booting is dominant, but usually imperfectly 

 so." A more extended study has been desirable. 



Booting is variable in amount. To indicate its degree I have had 

 recourse to an artificial scale. I recognize 11 grades, running from to 10. 

 The grade implies no feathers whatsoever. Grade 10 implies heavy- 

 booting extending over the front half of the shank. Grade 5 implies an 

 extent of only half of the maximum, i. e., the outer front quarter of the 

 shank. Intermediate grades indicate intermediate extension of the feathered 

 area. 



A. TYPES OF BOOTING. 



The races of booted poultry used have been as follows : First, bantam 

 Cochins of two varieties; second, a bantam Dark Brahma; and third, the 

 Silkie. In my representatives of the first two groups, but particularly in 

 the Dark Brahma, the amount of booting is variable. In one type the outer 

 third of the shank in the newly hatched chick is covered by strong, heavy, 

 speciaUzed feathers, directed outward, while the middle and inner thirds 

 are covered by smaller, finer, imbricating feathers sparsely placed and 

 resembhng reduced contour-feathers. In most individuals the transition 

 from the one kind to the other is gradual, while in others it is sharp, and in 

 a few the outer third only of the shank is feathered. In the Silkies, which 

 the standard poultry books describe as being more sparsely feathered on 

 the shank,* the outer zone of feathers is the only one developed; and, 

 occasionally, as table 31 shows, even these feathers may be lacking. We 

 have thus two types to distinguish the extended (Cochin, Brahma) type 

 and the restricted type. 



B. NORMAL VARIABILITY. 



To appreciate the results of hybridizing we must first examine the 

 variability of pure-blooded races. This is done in table 31. 



Thus Wright (1902) says the shanks of the Silkies (in England) are "slightly feathered, "and Baldanus (1896) saye 

 that (in Germany) they are feathered on the outer half. 



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