282 



FOWLS. 



Chap. VII. 



g 



The end of the pubic bone presents the greatest difference; bein 

 hardly enlarged in the Bankiva; considerably and gradually 

 enlarged in Cochins, and in a lesser degree in some other breeds ; 

 and abruptly enlarged in Bantams. In one Bantam this bone 

 extended very little beyond the extremity of the ischium. The 

 whole pelvis in this latter bird differed widely in its proportions, 

 being far broader proportionally to its length than in Bankiva. 



Sternum.— This bone is generally so much deformed that it is 

 scarcely possible to compare its shape strictly in the several breeds. 



The form of the triangular ex- 

 tremity of the lateral processes 

 differs considerably, being either 

 almost equilateral or much elon- 

 gated. The front margin of the 

 crest is more or less perpendicular 

 and varies greatly, as does the 

 curvature of the posterior end, 

 and the flatness of the lower 

 surface. The outline of the 

 manubrial process also varies, 

 being wedge-shaped in the Ban- 

 kiva, and rounded in the Spanish 

 breed. The furculum differs in 

 being more or less arched, and 

 greatly, as may be seen in the 

 accompanying outlines, in the 

 shape of the terminal plate ; but 

 the shape of this part differed a 

 little in two skeletons of the wild 

 Bankiva. The coracoid presents 

 no difference worth notice. The 

 scapula varies in shape, being of 

 nearly uniform breadth in Ban- 

 kiva, much broader in the middle 

 in the Polish fowl, and abruptly 

 narrowed towards the apex in 

 the two Sultan fowls. 



I carefully compared each 

 separate bone of the leg and wing, relatively to the same bones 

 in the wild Bankiva, in the following breeds, which I thought were 

 the^most likely to differ; namely, in Cochin, Dorking, Spanish, 

 Polish, Burmese Bantam, Frizzled Indian, and black-boned Silk 

 fowls; and it was truly surprising to see how absolutely every 

 process, articulation, and pore agreed, though the bones differed 

 greatly in size. The agreement is far more absolute than in other 

 parts of the skeleton. In stating this, I do not refer to the 

 relative thickness and length of the several bones ; for the tarsi 

 varied considerably in both these respects. But the other limb- 

 bones varied little even in relative length. 



Fig. 38.— Extremity of the Furcula, of 

 natural size, viewed laterally. A. Wild 

 G alius bankiva. B. Spangled Polish 

 Fowl. C. Spanish Fowl. D. Dorking 

 Fowl. 



