106 AN EGG FARM. 



sold the combs for the revenue of the house, and, there- 

 fore, may have kept up a careful selection of large 

 combed birds for breeders. And there is, besides, the 

 consideration of a warm climate. The wild parent stock 

 of our domestic fowls live, in part at least, high up on 

 the sides of mountains, and very likely the climate of 

 Italy and vicinity may be warmer than that to which 

 their progenitors were accustomed. As time progresses, 

 the question of influence of a warm climate on size of 

 comb will be determined by noting the appearance of 

 the Leghorns now kept quite extensively in our southern 

 states. 



The drawbacks of large combs and wattles are, freez- 

 ing in our northern states, and the discomforts and 

 strain resulting from carrying so much weight on the 

 head. It appears as though the circulation of blood in 

 the head is somehow affected by these excessive appen- 

 dages, for it has been observed that a Leghorn having 

 frequent spells of giddiness and staggering can some- 

 times be quickly and permanently cured by trimming 

 the comb, and we would always recommend the trim- 

 ming of both comb and wattles for both sexes, Fig. 39, 

 when two-thirds grown, especially in view of freezing, 

 when zero weather occurs. Use shears or scissors instead 

 of a knife so as to pinch the blood vessels and mitigate 

 the flow of blood. The operation is not so painful as it 

 might appear, we will state for the benefit of the Society 

 for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Nature evi- 

 dently provided that the comb and wattles should be 

 comparatively destitute of feeling. As, during the thou- 

 sands on thousands of years the males fought for posses- 

 sion of the females and the comb and wattles were the 

 parts seized upon in the struggle, a lack of sensitiveness 

 in these appendages would be perpetuated and aug- 

 mented on the principal of natural selection. So indif- 

 ferent is a fowl that after being dubbed it will uncon- 



