310 Mr. W. 15. Tegetmeier on Modem 



feathers of a particular marking rather than for its useful 

 table properties. This breed, being very local at the time 

 that Darwin wrote, was not described by him. 



Following the arrangement adopted by Darwin in his work 

 on ' Variation/ I now arrive at the Cochins, a geographical 

 misnomer, as these birds at the time of their introduction 

 were as unknown in Cochin China as in England, and came 

 from Shanghai, a port many hundreds of miles to the north. 

 Cochins (figs. 4 & 5, pp. 308, 309) are distinguished by their 

 great size and the abundance of fluffy plumage on the body, 

 the wing and tail-feathers being extremely short, so that 

 typical birds are quite incapable of flight. In the original 

 importations the legs (tarsi) were generally feathered. This 

 has been regarded as an important point by fanciers, and 

 much care has been bestowed on the production of feathers 

 on the legs and feet, so that in first-rate show-specimens the 

 foot-feathers are strong quills, often G or 8 inches in length. 



On their first introduction they were abundant layers of 

 buff-coloured eggs, small in size when compared with that of 

 the bird. Exhibition specimens have been bred so exclusively 

 for show purposes, no attention having been paid to breed- 

 ing for egg-production, that they have lost this characteristic, 

 and are now generally very indifferent layers. Cochins offer 

 several points of difference from the older known breeds. 

 The long axis of the occipital foramen is vertical, in place of 

 being horizontal. The forehead has a deep frontal groove. 

 Their habits and nesting, when allowed to range, vary from 

 those of other fowls, and their voice is remarkably distinct. 

 These characteristics, into the consideration of which I can- 

 not enter fully in this paper, lead me to believe that the 

 Cochin had its origin in a species of G alius which has, like 

 the camel, wholly passed into a state of domestication. 



The introduction of the Cochin into England some forty 

 years ago gave the first impulse to the exhibition of fancy 

 poultry and to the manufacture of new breeds by crossing 

 different varieties. Thus, the Brahmas did not, as alleged, 

 come from the river from whence they take their name, 

 where fowls of the character are quite unknown, but were 



