172 THE GIGANTIC COCK. 



The 



line with the eyes, and is thick, slightly raised, 

 upon the top rounded, and as it were cut off. 

 throat is bare, and there are two wattles from the 

 under mandibles of comparatively small size. The 

 head, neck, and upper part of the back is covered 

 with pale golden-reddish hackles, which spring also 

 slightly before the bare space of the throat. The 

 centre of the back and lesser wing-coverts are deep 

 chestnut, the feathers with the webs disunited, the 

 hackles covering the rump, and base of the tail pale 

 reddish-yellow, long and bending down. Tail very 

 ample and entirely of a glossy green. Greater wing- 

 coverts glossy-green, secondaries and quills with 

 outer webs pale reddish-yellow. The whole under 

 parts deep glossy blackish green, with strong reflec- 

 tions, and having the base of the feathers deep chest- 

 nut, which occasionally appears and makes these 

 parts seem mottled and interrupted. The height of 

 this specimen from the ground is about 2 feet '2 to 

 2 feet 4 inches. 



The cocks with ample crests upon the head, five 

 toes ; the rumpless cock, and those of very varied co- 

 lours, appear chiefly to have arisen from the various 

 circumstances attending domestication and crossing. 

 The most pleasing of these are specimens with a super- 

 abundant crest and auricular feathers. The crest is 

 composed of narrow hackled feathers, which grow 

 erect from the head, but fall down in graceful curves, 

 and are sometimes so long as to overhang and shadow 

 the eyes. Jn many parts this breed is much culti- 



