THE MALAY FOWL. 163 



The Malay Cock, in his perfection, is a remarkably courageous 

 and strong bird. His beak is remarkably thick, and he is a 

 formidable antagonist when offended. His crow is loud, harsh, 

 not prolonged, as in the case of the Cochin China, but broken 

 off abruptly at the termination : this is quite characteristic of 

 the bird. 



E. R. Cope, Esq., of this place, has some beautiful specimens 

 of the Malay, which he imported direct from the Messrs. Baker, 

 of Chelsea, England, who warrant them perfectly pure, and 

 good specimens. Mr. Cope kindly furnished the account of 

 them in a preceding chapter. 



Mr. Dixon. says this breed is in high repute with many 

 writers, as a supposed connecting link between the wild and 

 the tame races of Fowls. Indeed, something very like them 

 is still to be found in the East ; and it would be useful to 

 know, as a certain test, whether the Kulm Cock be indocile, 

 like the Pheasant, or tameable, like the Fowl. The Penny 

 Cyclopaedia (article " Pheasant") gives the following description 

 of the native Indian bird : 



" The Giyantic Cock, the Kulm Cock of Europeans, (a wild 

 breed,) often stands considerably more than two feet from the 

 crown of the head to the ground. The comb extends back- 

 wards in a line with the eyes ; it is thick, a little elevated, 

 rounded upon the top, and has almost the appearance of having 

 been cut off. The wattles of the under mandibles are com- 

 paratively small, and the throat is bare. Pale golden-reddish 

 hackles ornament the head, neck, and upper part of the back, 

 and some of these spring before the bare part of the throat. 

 Middle of the back and lesser wing-coverts deep chestnut, the 

 webs of the feathers disunited; pale reddish-yellow, long 

 drooping hackles cover the rump and base of the tail, which 

 last is very ample, and entirely of a glossy green, of which 

 colour are the wing-coverts ; the secondaries and quills are pale 

 reddish-yellow on their outer webs.* All the under parts deep 



