270 FOWLS. Chap. VII. 



He well describes the peculiarities of this protuberance ; he 

 attended also to the effects of the modified shape of the brain 

 on the intellect of these birds, and disputes Pallas' statement 

 that they are stupid. He then expressly remarks that he 

 never observed this protuberance in male fowls. Hence there 

 can be no doubt that this extraordinary character in the skulls 

 of Polish fowls was formerly in Germany confined to the 

 female sex, but has now been transferred to the males, and 

 has thus become common to both sexes. 



External Differences, not connected with the Sexes, between the 

 Breeds and between individual Birds. 



The size of the body differs greatly. Mr. Tegetmeier has known 

 a Brahma to weigh 17 pounds; a fine Malay cock 10 pounds; whilst 

 a first-rate Sebright Bantam weighs hardly more than 1 pound. 

 DuriDg the last 20 years the size of some of our breeds has been 

 largely increased by methodical selection, whilst that of other breeds 

 has been much diminished. We Have already seen how greatly 

 colour varies even within the same breed; we know that the wild 

 G. bankiva varies slightly in colour ; we know that colour is variable 

 in all our domestic animals ; nevertheless some eminent fanciers 

 have so little faith in variability, that they have actually argued 

 that the chief Game sub-breeds, which differ from ench other in 

 nothing but colour, are descended from distinct wild species! 

 Crossing often causes strange modification of colour. Mr. Tegetmeier 

 informs me that when buff and white Cochins are crossed, some of 

 the chickens are almost invariably black. According to Mr. Brent, 

 black and white Cochins occasionally produce chickens of a slaty- 

 blue tint ; and this same tint results, as Mr. Tegetmeier tells me, 

 from crossing white Cochins with black Spanish fowls, or white 

 Dorkings with black Minorcas. 59 A good observer 60 states that a 

 first-rate silver-spangled Hamburgh hen gradually lost the most 

 characteristic qualities of the breed, for the black lacing to her 

 feathers disappeared, and her legs changed from leaden-blue to white : 

 but what makes the case remarkable is, that this tendency ran in the 

 blood for her sister changed in a similar but less strongly marked 

 manner ; and chickens produced from this latter hen were at first 

 almost pure white, "but on moulting acquired black colours and 

 some spangled feathers with almost obliterated markings ;" so that 

 a new variety arose in this singular mauner. The skin in the 

 different breeds differs much in colour, being white in common kinds, 

 yellow in Malays and Cochins, and black in Silk fowls ; thus mocking, 



59 ' Cottage Gardener,' Jan. 3rd, before the Dublin Nat. Hist. Soc, 

 1860, p. 218. quoted in 'Cottage Gardener,' 1856, 



60 Mr. Williams, in a paper read p. 161. 



