AMERICAN COCHINS. 



253 



there is no doubt — so far at least as regards 

 the best American breeders and their best birds. 

 The choicest specimens amongst the Cochins 

 exhibited by the brothers Sharp in Buffs, and 

 Mr. Mitchell in Partridges, were pronounced 

 by those who saw both to have been nearly if 

 not quite equal to English Cochins in foot- 

 feather, but entirely free from stiff quills about 

 the hocks. There is not only ample testimony 

 to this effect, but it is confirmed by the Ameri- 

 can method and canon of breeding, which has 

 produced a type, if anything more globular 

 than the English ideal, as will be seen from 

 the accompanying illustration, which we take 

 from the Reliable Ponliry Journal. The 



genuine fluff of the thighs 



has been developed lower 



down, so as to cover the 



hocks and upper part of 



the shank-feather ; and 



the breast plumage is also 



much increased towards 



the bottom, and is profuse 



and fluffy in character ; 



and the result is, although 



the American and English 



•standards are practically 



identical, a Cochin even 



more developed in total 



roundness of form, with 



the hollows and angles 



still more filled up, than 



in England, with the fluff 



further developed, and 



coming more down over 



the hocks and shanks 



towards the ground. We 



have already noticed the 



changes in this direction 



which have taken place 



here, but in the modern 



American type we find that change carried to 

 its furthest degree. 



This model has been produced by system- 

 atic cultivation of what we may call "fluffy" 

 plumage. Feathers differ greatly in the pro- 

 portion of fluff to solid webbing, the Cochin 

 having always been remarkable for weakness 

 of quill, width with shortness of web, and 

 ample fluff. Americans have systematically 

 developed these points, until one or two 

 breeders now express as their opinion and 

 practice that, so far as possible, stock should 

 be selected in which the body feathers possess 

 only about one-fourth of their length in solid 

 webbing, the remaining three-fourths being 

 loose fibrils or "fluff." At all events they select 

 birds in which that is the main character of 



the plumage, and by this course, and the re- 

 jection of stiff quills, they have succeeded in 

 banishing vulture-hocks, while yet retaining 

 heavy foot-feather, which is unquestionably a 

 very great achievement in breeding. 



It is worthy of remark that years ago there 

 would appear now and then, in strains of Buff 

 Cochins, specimens in which all the feathers 

 consisted of loose fibrils, resembling those 

 figured later in these pages, of the Silky 

 fowl. We have seen none now for many years, 

 but they were mentioned as far back as 1853, 

 and at one time were known as Emu or 

 Silky Cochins, but were considered delicate, 

 as well as difficult to keep in nice order. 



■^'■^■^ 



American Partridge Cochins. 



This entire " silkiness " of feather is the 

 extreme limit, perhaps, of the kind of plumage 

 which American breeders have sought to 

 develop to the extent above stated, with the 

 result of so much increasing the fluffiness 

 and apparent bulk of their birds. We have 

 it on good authority from several sources 

 that the best specimens at the chief shows 

 do exceed considerably, in this fluffiness of 

 plumage, any English stock that has so far 

 been imported. 



As regards colours, in America the taste is 

 now for " rich golden buff " in Buffs ; but in 

 Partridges there is a considerable difference 

 from English fashion. American Partridges 

 are often most beautifully pencilled, and show 

 beautiful Cochin development as described 



