260 FOWLS. Chap. VII. 



Aldrovandi's Paduan fowl as " a variety of the Polisli," 

 whereas Mr. Brent believes it to have been more nearly allied 

 to the Malay. The anatomical peculiarities of the skull of the 

 Polish breed were noticed by P. Borelli in 1656. I may add 

 that in 1737 one Polish sub-breed, viz., the Golden-spangled, 

 was known ; but judging from Albin's description, the comb 

 was then larger, the crest of feathers much smaller, the breast 

 more coarsely spotted, and the stomach and thighs much 

 blacker : a Golden-spangled Polish fowl in this condition 

 would now be of no value. 



Differences in external and Internal Structure between the 

 Breeds : Individual Variability. — Fowls have been exposed to 

 diversified conditions of life, and as we have just seen there 

 has been ample time for much variability and for the slow 

 action of unconscious selection. As there are good grounds 

 for believing that all the breeds are descended from Gallus 

 bankiva, it will be worth while to describe in some detail the 

 chief points of difference. Beginning with the eggs and 

 chickens, I will pass on to their secondary sexual characters, 

 and then to their differences in external structure and in the 

 skeleton. I enter on the following details chiefly to show 

 how variable almost every character has become under 

 domestication. 



Eggs. — Mr. Dixon remarks 35 that "to every hen belongs an 

 individual peculiarity in the form, colour, and size of her egg, which 

 never changes during her life-time, so long as she remains in 

 health, and which is as well known to those who are in the habit of 

 taking her produce, as the hand-writing of their nearest acquain- 

 tance." I believe that this is generally true, and that, if no great 

 number of hens be kept, the eggs of each can almost always be re- 

 cognised. The eggs of differently sized breeds naturally differ much 

 in size ; but apparently, not always in strict relation to the size of 

 the hen : thus the Malay is a larger bird than the Spanish, but 

 generally she produces not such large eggs; white Bantams are 

 said to lay smaller eggs than other Bantams ; 36 white Cochins, on 

 the other hand, as I hear from Mr. Tegetmeier, certainly lay larger 

 eggs than buff Cochins. The eggs, however, of the different breeds 



35 ' Ornamental and Domestic Poul- informed, cannot generally be trusted, 

 try,' p. 152. He gives, however, figures and much 



36 Ferguson on ' Rare Prize Poll- information on eggs. See pp. 34 and 

 try,' p. 297 This writer, I am 235 on the eggs of the Game fowl. 



