162 



CHAPTER VIII. 



THE MALAY FOWL SOMETIMES (THOUGH ERRONEOUSLY) 



CALLED CHITTAGONQ. (See Portraits of each.) 



THIS is a majestic bird, and is found on the Peninsula from 

 which it derives its name. Its weight, in general, exceeds 

 that of the Cochin China, the male weighing, when full grown, 

 from eleven to twelve, or even thirteen pounds, and the female 

 from eight to ten pounds ; height, from twenty-six to twenty- 

 eight inches. They present no striking uniformity of plumage, 

 being of all shades, from black to white } the more common 

 colour of the female is a light reddish-yellow, and I have ob- 

 served a mere suspicion of dunnish-blue, especially in the tail. 

 The Cock is frequently of a yellowish-red colour, with black in- 

 termingled in the breast, thighs, and tail. He has a small, but 

 thick comb, as seen in the portrait, generally inclined to one 

 side : he should be snake-headed, and free from the slightest 

 trace of top-knot ; the wattles should be extremely small, even 

 in an old bird ; the legs are not feathered, as in the case of the 

 Shanghaes^but, like them and the Cochin Chinas, his tail is 

 small compared with his size. In the female, there is scarcely 

 any show of comb or wattles. Their legs are long and stout ; 

 and their flesh is very well flavoured, when they have been pro- 

 perly fattened; and their Eggs are so large and rich, that two 

 of them are equal to three of those of our ordinary Fowls. 



