12 Good and Bad Qualities of Breeds. 



shanks and toes than the Brahmas, and can be easily kept in 

 confinement. The different varieties of Cochins are alike in 

 nearly all respects but color, the Partridge being extremely 

 beautiful. The Cochins are the best sitters and mothers of 

 all breeds, though their large size is often a disadvantage to 

 them where the eggs used for hatching are thin-shelled. 



The Langshan is the latest addition to the Asiatic breeds, 

 and is the only one that has not been changed by the breeders 

 of Europe and America, as it is the same in form and charac- 

 teristics as when first brought from China. The fowls greatly 

 resemble the Black Cochins, but an observer may notice that 

 the Langshan, though nearly as large as the Cochin, can fly 

 over a high fence, while the Cochin can not leave the ground. 

 The Langshan has white, thin skin, pinkish webs between the 

 toes, legs the color of those of the turkey and long sickle feath- 

 ers ; it lays when from six to seven months old. It is not an 

 attractive market fowl, its dark legs and white skin being ob- 

 jectionable ; nevertheless, it excels as a table fowl, and as 

 layers the Langshans are said to be intermediate between the 

 sitters and the non-sitters. 



The American breeds are the Plymouth Rocks, Dominiques, 

 Javas and Wyandottes. They are all clean-legged, with yel- 

 low shanks and skin. Their popularity is due to their hardi- 

 ness, medium size, and adaptation to nearly all climates. 

 They combine partially the heavy feathering of the Asiatics, 

 with the long duration of the laying season of the non-sitters. 

 They are not only easily kept in confinement, but also make 

 excellent foragers when running atlarge. They lay eggs darker 

 in color than those cf some breeds, which, added to their early 

 maturity, considering their size, is one of their desirable quali- 

 fications. The Dominiques are of small size. The black or 

 mottled color of the Java is not preferred by many, as they are 

 in other respects very similar to the Plymouth Rocks some 

 classifying them as Black or Mottled Plymouth Rocks, though 

 they are really distinct. 



Of the non-sitters, the Houdans (a French breed) are the 



