Japanese Aviculture 



to breed promiscuously. Thus this particular 

 marking is a very easy one to breed. The 

 short legs of the Japanese bantam are found in 

 two large European breeds, the Dumpies — now 

 apparently very scarce — and the French Courtes 

 Pattes. I have seen abnormally short-legged 

 specimens occurring among the Malay fowls, 

 which are the usual breed in Zanzibar, though 

 the Malay usually has very long legs ; so that 

 these Dachshund-like breeds of fowls have pro- 

 bably been obtained by breeding from chance 

 short-legged "sports." 



With regard to the large combs of the 

 Japanese bantams, it is noteworthy that their 

 possession does not inconvenience the birds in 

 any way, as these are as lively, brisk, and plucky 

 as bantams in general ; whereas, in large breeds 

 with similar proportionately large combs, such 

 as the Minorca, this headgear often proves such 

 an annoyance to the bird that he is unable to 

 live happily till it is cut off. The Japanese 

 make great pets of these bantams, and evidently 

 admire them much, judging from the frequency 

 with which they depict them in their art work ; 

 the specimens shown in the photograph are of 

 the very best Japanese blood. They must be 

 widely appreciated outside Japan, for I found 

 them not uncommon in Calcutta, where they 



were imported from the further East direct. 



1S7 



