278 FOWLS. Chap. VII. 



processes of equal lengths, forming a fork ; but in all the Polish 

 skulls, except one, the inner process was considerably, but in a 

 variable degree, shortened and somewhat upturned. In all the 

 skulls, except one, the two ascending branches of the premaxillary, 

 instead of running up between the processes of the nasal bones and 

 resting on the ethmoid bone, are much shortened and terminate in a 

 blunt, somewhat upturned point. In those skulls in which the 

 nasal bones approach quite close to each other or are ossified 

 together, it would be impossible for the ascending branches of the 

 premaxillary to reach the ethmoid and frontal bones ; hence we see 

 that even the relative connection of the bones has been changed. 

 Apparently in consequence of the branches of the premaxillary and 

 of the inner processes of the nasal bones being somewhat upturned, 

 the external orifices of the nostrils are upraised and assume a 

 crescentic outline. 



I must still say a few words on some of the foreign Crested 

 breeds. The skull of a crested, rumpless, white Turkish fowl was 

 very slightly protuberant, and but little perforated ; the ascending 

 branches of the premaxillary was well developed. In another 

 Turkish breed, called Ghoondooks, the skull was considerably protu- 

 berant and perforated ; the ascending branches of the premaxillary 

 were so much aborted that they projected only -jL th of an inch ; and 

 the inner processes of the nasal bone were so completely aborted, that 

 the surface where they should have projected was quite smooth. 

 Here then we see these two bones modified to an extreme degree. 

 Of Sultans (another Turkish breed) I examined two skulls ; in that 

 of the female the protuberance was much larger than in the male. 

 In both skulls the ascending branches of the premaxillary were very 

 short, and in both the nasal portion of the inner processes of the 

 nasal bones were ossified together. These Sultan skulls differed 

 from those of English Polish fowls in the frontal bones, anteriorly 

 to the protuberance, not being broad. 



The last skull which I need describe is a unique one, lent to me 

 by Mr. Tegetmeier : it resembles a Polish skull in most of its 

 characters, but has not the great frontal protuberance; it has, 

 however, two rounded knobs of a different nature, which stand 

 more in front, above the lachrymal bones. These curious knobs, 

 into which the brain does not enter, are separated from each other 

 by a deep medial furrow ; and this is perforated by a few minute 

 pores. The nasal bones stand rather wide apart, with their inner 

 processes, and the ascending branches of the premaxillary, upturned 

 and shortened. The two knobs no doubt supported the two great 

 horn-like projections of the fcomb. 



From the foregoing facts we see in how astonishing a manner 

 some of the bones of the skull vary in Crested fowls. The pro- 

 tuberance may certainly be called in one sense a monstrosity, as 

 being wholly unlike anything observed in nature: but as in 

 ordinary cases it is not injurious to the bird, and as it is strictly 

 inherited, it can hardly in another sense be called a monstrosity. 



