Jones: Inheritance of Silkiness in Fowls 



121 



Although the standard Silky breed 

 comprises white feathered birds with 

 dark skin, Beeck (1908) discusses five 

 other varieties differing in various 

 respects. The first is the Siamese 

 Silky Fowl with black periosteum, 

 red skin on the head, yellow legs and 

 beak, and feathers with a yellowish 

 cast. The second variety is the Japan- 

 ese Silky, possessing a dark skin and 

 white feathers like the standard Silky. 

 The black bantam Silky of Japan 

 which has a dark skin is the third 

 variety described. The feather color 

 of the fourth variety, known as the 

 Chinese Silky, resembles that of the 

 Siamese breed in being yellowish. The 

 Negro Fowl, the last of the five varie- 

 ties described, possesses both black 

 skin and feathers. Wright (1891) 

 quotes Blyth to the effect that some 

 Silkies have single, red combs, some 

 are clean legged and others feathered. 

 Sturges (1909) describes black and 

 also blue feathered Silkies. Descrip- 

 tions of the Japanese, Siamese and 

 Black Dwarf Silkies given in Brehm's 

 Tierleben (1911, p. 67) correspond in 

 the main to those of Beeck. Mention is 

 also made of the variability of plumage 

 color, which may be white, black or of 

 other colors. The plumage of the Chi- 

 nese Silky Fowl is said to be more wooly 

 than straight and silky. 



Since these birds may occur in almost 

 any skin and feather color it is not 

 surprising to find references to their 

 sporadic occurrence among flocks of 

 normally feathered individuals. Be- 

 ment (1863) in describing the Silky 

 Fowl says, "This is one of the acciden- 

 tal varieties that now and then break 

 out in most yards. — We have known 

 several instances of fowls of this de- 

 scription having sprung from those of 

 the ordinary character." Robinson 

 (1913) states that, "In all races of 

 fowls individuals sometimes appear in 

 which the web of the feather is of a 

 peculiar formation resembling hair." 



In this connection Bement relates the 

 following amusing anecdote. "This is 

 the breed, which gave rise, in 1776, to 

 the fable of the 'Rabbit fowl' which was 

 exhibited in Brussels as the produce of a 

 rabbit and a common hen, which was 

 merely a Silky fowl of Japan." Bech- 

 stein is quoted in Brehm's Tierleben 

 as having known certain itinerant 

 showmen who, in fun, represented 

 Silkies as hybrids between fowls and 

 rabbits. 



The foregoing statements are some- 

 what general and do not relate to spe- 

 cific breeds. Tegetmeier, on the other 

 hand (1873, p. 45) in describing the 

 Cochins discusses a silky variety of 

 this breed which he says is "an acciden- 

 tal variation of plumage which occa- 

 sionally occurs — ." Wright (1891) also 

 mentions the incidental occurrence of 

 silky feathered individuals among Buff 

 Cochins, remarking that such birds are 

 yellow in color like their normally 

 feathered relatives. Professor Lippin- 

 cott of the Kansas State Agricultural 

 College recently told the writer that he 

 had observed two buff silky-feathered 

 birds among apparently purebred Buff 

 Cochin Bantams.^ 



Further information on this subject 

 has been obtained directly from other 

 poultrymen. A letter from Mr. Piatt 

 of the American Poultry Journal says 

 he has seen silky specimens in a flock 

 of Rhode Island Reds and also in a 

 flock of Black Orpingtons. He adds 

 that Klondykes and also Missouri 

 Fluffs are varieties with silky plumage 

 which suggest White Rock or White 

 Wyandotte origin and Mr. Jackson of 

 the Reliable Poultry Journal states 

 that he "recalls seeing a very occasional 

 bird of this type, and a few years ago 

 found a well established flock in North- 

 ern Ohio, which originated from White 

 Wyandottes. The birds still carried 

 rose combs and were of good size and 

 of about average quality as to Wyan- 

 dotte type." 



^ Bateson (1894, p. 55) quotes from an article by ]SIr. J. H. Gurney in the Trans. Norwich Nat. 

 Soc, III p. 581, concerning "hairj-" varieties of the Moorhen (Gall inula chloropus). Twelve such 

 specimens had been found in different parts of England and Ireland. ".\ few feathers of this kind 

 have been found in Hawks and Gulls, and in the case of a Parra . . . ., a great portion of the body 

 feathers were in this condition." The occurrence of a silky Grey Brahma hen is also mentioned. 



