261 FOWLS. Chap. VII. 



so that for A time the young birds are partially naked, and 

 are liable to suffer from cold. 



Secondary Sexual Characters. — The two sexes in the pauent- 

 form, the Gallus bankiva, differs much in colour. In our 

 domestic breeds the difference is never greater, but is often 

 less, and varies much in degree even in the sub-breeds of the 

 same main breed. Thus in certain Game fowls the difference 

 is as great as in the parent-form, whilst in the black and 

 white sub-breeds there is no difference in plumage. Mr. Brent 

 informs me that he has seen two strains of black-breasted red 

 Games, of which the cocks could not be distinguished, whilst 

 the hens in one were partridge-brown and in the other fawn- 

 brown. A similar case has been observed in the strains of 

 the brown-breasted red Game. The hen of the " duck-winged 

 Game " is " extremely beautiful," and differs much from the 

 hens of all the other Game sub-breeds ; but generally, as with 

 the blue and grey Game and with some sub- varieties of the 

 pile-game, a moderately close relation may be observed 

 between the males and females in the variation of their 

 plumage. 45 A similar relation is also evident when we com- 

 pare the several varieties of Cochins. In the two sexes of 

 gold and silver-spangled and of buff Polish fowls, there is 

 much general similarity in the colouring and marks of the 

 whole plumage, excepting of course in the hackles, crest, and 

 beard. In spangled Hamburghs, there is likewise a con- 

 siderable degree of similarity between the two sexes. In 

 pencilled Hamburghs, on the other hand, there is much dis- 

 similarity ; the pencilling which is characteristic of the hens 

 being almost absent in the males of both the golden and 

 silver varieties. But, as we have already seen, it cannot be 

 given as a general rule that male fowls never have pencilled 

 feathers, for Cuckoo Dorkings are " remarkable from having 

 nearly similar markings in both sexes." 



It is a singular fact that the males in certain sub-breeds 

 have lost some of their secondary masculine characters, and 

 from their close resemblage in plumage to the females, are 

 often called hennies. There is much diversity of opinion 

 whether these males are in any degree sterile ; that they some- 



45 See the full description of the meier's ' Poultry Book,' 1866, p. 131 

 varieties of the Game-breed, in Teget- For Cuckoo Dorkings, p. 9/. 



