359 



" The above occurred under my immediate observation, but, of course, is not 

 ' conclusive, as other Polish cocks may have the power of transmitting their colour 

 'and crest for a longer period, although I have no doubt the result would be 

 'ultimately the same. I may add that I think the Buff Cochin generally, in 

 ' crosses, transmits its colour and fluff for a longer period to its descendants than 

 ' in the above case of the Black Polish cock, it being probably an older established 

 ' breed, but in the end both colour and fluff disappear. 



" If we look at the great difference that exists in Polish and Buff Cochins, and 

 ' if we consider the wonderful care and the great length of time it must have taken 

 ' to have produced them, and when we see how quickly they disappear altogether 

 ' when interbred with common poultry, and how their descendants persistently 

 ' return to Red cocks and Brown hens when allowed to continue breeding together, 

 ' surely we cannot be blind to the fact that they are striving to return to the natural 

 ' colour and type of their common ancestor. A glance at that very interesting case 

 ' of poultry in the Natural History Museum in the Cromwell Road, will, I think, 

 ' convince the most sceptical. These birds are domestic poultry— killed on the 

 ' island of Taviuni— that have reverted to the wild state, and are the descendants oi 

 ' poultry, most probably ordinary barn-door fowls, turned out by the early settlers 

 ' more than a century since. One cock is a most beautiful black-breasted red bird, 

 ' elegant in shape and drooping in tail, and in size somewhat between a Black-red 

 ' Bantam and a large Black-red Game cock. Another cock is a most interesting 

 ' e.xample of a duckwing cock, reverting to the black-red colour ; the hens are small 

 ' and yellowish-brown. 



"From the above it will be seen that in my opinion, based principally on 

 ' experiments in crossing the various breeds of Game fowl with each other, and 

 ' with common poultry, and for the reasons above quoted, all fowls are descended 

 ' from one original wild ancestor, many celebrated naturalists think, Gallus 

 ' Bankiva, but that our early poultry existed for centuries on tliis earth in the 

 ' shape of small Black-reds with drooping tails and single combs, and in no other 

 ' form, until in process of time, owing to careful selection in crossing and breeding, 

 ' and taking advantage of various sports, and especially owing to variations occa- 

 'sioned by climate, they very gradually developed into the different breeds of 

 ' poultry which exist at the present day. " 



