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CHAPTER XXX. 



POLISH fowls were formerly called Polands, 

 but the latter name was gradually super- 

 seded from a conviction that the birds 

 had no real connection with Poland, and that 

 this was a mere colloquial corruption of their 

 " polled " or crested character. This is still the 

 most probable hypothesis ; though the recent 

 discovery of races of fowls with crests and 

 beards and whiskers throughout South Russia, 

 has perhaps added somewhat more plausibility 

 to a possible geographical origin of the name, 

 than existed some years ago. 



The chief outward characteristic of all Polish 

 fowls is the crest ; but this is connected with 

 a craniological peculiarity still more remarkable 

 and distinct, though not so evident to mere 

 observation. It consists of a spherical pro- 

 tuberance at the top of the skull, generally 

 pierced by apertures which are only covered by 

 skin, and whose size is in proportion to that of 

 the crest, so that the best crested birds can be 

 known as soon as hatched, from the size of this 

 protuberance alone. Excess in one part being 

 often connected with defect in some other, as 

 Mr. Darwin pointed out, the skulls with this 

 peculiarity usually show a chasm in the inter- 

 maxillary bones, which in other fowls support 

 the roof of the nostrils ; owing to which defi- 

 ciency in bony support the nostrils of all heavily 

 crested fowls appear flattened and depressed, 

 and yet cavernous in character. Fig. 129 is 

 drawn from the skull of a Polish fowl in the 

 Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, and 

 shows clearly both the bony protuberance of the 

 skull, pierced by apertures, and the chasm in the 

 bone over the nostrils. These peculiarities 

 were misunderstood by the older naturalists ; 

 Blumenbach believing that they were rarely 

 found in the cocks, while Pallas attributed them 

 either to disease or a cross with the Guinea 

 fowl ; and even the late Professor Owen (in the 

 catalogue of the Museum just mentioned) in- 

 clining to the idea of disease. The true nature 

 of this peculiar structure, and its connection 

 with the size of crest, were first clearly pointed 

 out by the late Dr. Horner, in Wlngfield and 

 Johnson's Poultry Book of 1853. 



Besides the crest, the majority of the Polish 

 varieties now bred are furnished with abundant 

 beards, and side-muffs or whiskers covering the 

 cheeks, while in such birds the wattles have 

 entirely or almost disappeared. These features 

 have however been subject to changes of fashion 

 and breeding in the history of the fowl. Not 

 only is the present white-crested Black variety 

 still wattled and beardless, but before the era of 

 poultry-shows the Spangled breeds in England 



Fig. 129.— Skull of Polish Fowl. 



were the same, and the late Mr. John Baily has 

 left it on record that the first bearded specimens, 

 then called by him and other dealers "Muffeties," 

 were not regarded as true. The late Mr. Baker 

 is believed to have been the first importer of 

 bearded specimens, and supported them ; and 

 this type finally prevailed in all but the white- 

 crested breed. There is one more peculiarity of 

 the race, in a two-horned or double character of 

 the comb. This is sought as small as possible, 

 and is in most specimens almost invisible ; but 

 however rudimentary it may be, the double 

 character can be discerned ; and in allied breeds 

 like Creves and Houdans the double develop- 

 ment becomes very marked. This general 

 tendency to development of bifurcation in comb, 

 protuberance in skull, beards, and whiskers, in 

 combination with large crest, is remarkable as 

 the type of a race which has profoundly 

 impressed the poultry of France, Holland, 

 Germany, and Russia. 



