ZOOGENESIS 



have been records of the capture of the "hairy vari- 

 ety" of the moor-hen (Gallinula chloro-pus) in which 

 all the feathers were destitute of barbules and conse- 

 quently had a hairy texture, greatly changing the 

 general appearance of the bird. Owing to the ab- 

 sence of barbules, the general color of such birds 

 is tawny. 



A few feathers of this type have been found in 

 hawks and gulls, and a jagana is recorded in which a 

 great portion of the body feathers were in this con- 

 dition. The feathers of the Apery x or kiwi and of 

 the cassowaries are also partially destitute of barbules. 

 A gray brahma hen has been reported with the same 

 peculiarity. 



Bateson said that the case of the silky fowl is 

 similar in the absence of most of the barbules, but 

 in the silky fowl the point of the shaft is produced to a 

 delicate point and the barbs are fine and are sometimes 

 bifid or trifid at the apex. In the silky fowl the 

 skin and bones are purplish blue. The color of the 

 skin and bones has not been recorded in the case of 

 the "hairy" moor-hen. 



Varieties of goats, cats, rabbits and other domestic 

 animals with long silky hair are well known, and 

 there are very similar breeds of guinea-pigs. This 

 variety is not confined to domestic animals, for it has 

 been reported in the common house-mouse. 



Black mice are not infrequent. The so-called 

 "rhinoceros mice" are very interesting, and have 

 several times been reported. A male and a pregnant 

 female found in a straw-rick at Taplow, England, 



[145] 



