THE COCHIN CHINA FOWL. 147 



produced. I have found this the case with my Cochin China 

 Fowls, and I have selected my birds for future breeding, ac- 

 cordingly. One of the Nolan Cocks showed a slight germ of 

 feathering upon the legs; so with one of the Canton Hens. 

 A few of the Chicks were similarly marked, but this feature 

 does not appear to any extent. I breed from the smooth- 

 legged Fowls exclusively.* 



My object in importing these birds was to obtain, if possible, 

 the best to be had, all things considered; but I look upon 

 fine flesh, and close-grained, juicy meat, as being of greater 

 consequence than mere size, beauty, or prolific qualities. 

 The Cochin Chinas are not so large, usually, as the Chittagong, 

 for instance ; but my experience leads me to prefer the former; 

 and I have tried both varieties side by side to arrive at 

 this conclusion. 



My two best Cochin China Hens have this year laid from 

 the middle of February to about the first of September 

 almost constantly. In the six and a half months, they laid 

 over one hundred and sixty Eggs, each. Since the middle 

 of October, they have again commenced laying, and have done 

 as well. The Pullets out of this stock have laid at four and a 

 half to five months old, invariably. I breed both importations 

 together, now, and they do equally well, I find. 



The old Fowls have weighed, when in their best condition 

 Hens, eight, eight and a quarter, and eight and a half pounds ; 

 the Cocks, from ten to eleven and a quarter pounds, each. 

 This is heavy enough to answer my wishes or expectations. 



* If my friend B. rejects all that are more or less feathered on the 

 legs, he will, in time, reduce the size of his fowls, and vice versa. 

 See a pure Shanghae stag I raised last summer, portrayed on a pre- 

 ceding page his legs are as smooth as an icicle. See also E. R. 

 Cope's Cochins, moderately feathered also Mr. Giles's stock, all 

 equally pure feathered also. ED. 



