CAUSES OF VARIETIES IN BIRDS. 4G0 



considered so dangerous by the farmer's wife, that she generally contrives 

 stealthily to put the obnoxious birds out of the way The most remarkable hen 

 of this kind which we remember to have seen, is that of which we have attempted 

 a delineation at the commencement of our present number. It was purchased 

 amongst many other Fowls, and was kept several years in the poultry -yard at 

 Scampston Hall, near Malton, in this county. We believe it was never known 

 to crow. It is generally believed that these " cock-hens " are barren ; but this 

 we are enabled most distinctly to deny. It is an interesting fact that the hen 

 figured in our current number not only laid eggs, but hatched them, and took 

 every possible care of her brood? This fine bird was at length chased into a 

 Duck-pond, and drowned, by two of those quarrelsome creatures the Pintados 

 This latter bird, though peaceable enough with its own species, is a perfect terror 

 to other kinds of poultry. We have even known it attack and drive away a 

 well-trained pointer Dog ! Fowls, on the contrary, extremely quarrelsome among 

 themselves, never molest other birds unless first attacked by them, or when dis- 

 turbed at feeding-time. 



The beautiful specimen to which we have alluded was stuffed by an amateur of 

 the art of animal-preserving, Matthew Hayes, Esq., of Pickering. It is of the 

 size of a very large cock, and had the brilliant metallic tints, the waving tail- 

 feathers, and the long pendent neck-feathers characteristic of the male. The 

 comb is intermediate between the average of the ordinary cock and hen. The 

 rudiments of hard and powerful spurs may be observed ; the plates of the tarsi 

 are large, but as they are neither loose nor much imbricated, this must be con- 

 sidered rather as another indication of approach to the male than as a sign of age. 

 Indeed the character of these plates, and of the spurs, induces us to consider it a 

 middle-aged individual. The bird is well proportioned, but very muscular in all 

 its parts. It has much the air of a cock between the game and dunghill breeds, 

 but the head is smaller, and the neck thinner. Unfortunately this hen was 

 moulting when it died, and has therefore less of the male character than would 

 otherwise have been the case. In all probability, each of the unusual characters 

 noticed above would have been increased had the bird lived a few years longer. 

 Undoubtedly its spars would have grown very considerably. We have seen old 

 hens, with the ordinary plumage and general aspect, and very good sitters, with 

 long sharp spurs like a cock. 



It would be interesting to notice the changes induced by age and moulting on 



these " cock-hens." Perhaps they become barren at an earlier period than other 



hens. If so, the notion respecting their unconditional sterility is partially 



accounted for. The specimen figured in the plate died some twelve or fourteen 



years ago, and still remains in our collection. 



Game cocks which have fought often and desperately sometimes change colour 

 vol.. in. — no. xxiv. 3 Q 



