2 8o 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



we have." The fowl was indeed supposed to 

 be quite siii generis. Said to be a sacred bird 

 in its own country, there arose something like a 

 ciiUns of the Langshan* in England also ; while 

 in default of distinctive type and explanation, 



rvri?^ 



some way from others, and believed to be 

 " allied to the wild turkey." When this was 

 justly ridiculed, it was explained away as the 

 belief of the Chinese, forgetting that the wild 

 turkey is not even known in China. It was 





The First or Original Langshans. 



its claims were supported by statements simply 

 absurd. It was said the fowl was distinct in 



* Miss Croad writes (Langshan Fowl, 3rd ed., p. 17) 

 that if the authorities confounded the Langshan with the Black 

 Cochin, it was because " their eyes were holden that they could 

 not see." It is best to add no remark to this, except that the 

 quotation marks are her own. 



further asserted that Langshans were entirely 

 free "from that essentially Cochin disease, 

 elephantiasis " (scaly leg), and that as this alone 

 was a " conclusive answer " to any connection 

 between the two breeds, " none of our opponents 

 have ventured to say anything about it." More 

 lately Miss Croad reaffirms that this was true 



