166 THE MALAY FOWL. 



would. Goslings would suffer less from such untimely de- 

 sertion." 



I cannot refrain from mentioning a singular babit that has 

 been observed in some individuals of this breed: " A multi- 

 tude of facts has convinced me how wonderful is the hereditary 

 principle in the minds or instincts of animals ; but some facts 

 have made me suspect that we sometimes put down to heredi- 

 tariness what is due to imitation. I will give an instance : a 

 good observer and breeder told me he had noticed that an Eastern 

 breed of Poultry, (Malay, I think,) imported by Lord Powis, 

 though then reared during several generations in this country, 

 always went to roost for a short time in mid-day," (of course, 

 instinctively, to avoid the noontide heats at home.) " Hence 

 (if the fact be true, and I rarely believe any thing without con- 

 firmation,) I concluded that this habit was probably hereditary ; 

 but, mentioning this fact to a lady who had some Eastern breed, 

 she said she believed she had noticed the same peculiarity, but 

 with this addition, that some chickens reared under the East- 

 ern Hen followed (she knew not for how long) the same habit $ 

 if so, we clearly see that it may be a merely handed-down prac- 

 tice, and not hereditary. To test it, the Eastern eggs ought to 

 have been hatched under a common Hen; but my first in- 

 formant is now dead. This point, though trifling, is really 

 curious." C. D. 



I certainly have noticed Hens of various breeds occasionally 

 retiring to roost for a mid-day nap ; but never knew any make 

 a common practice of it. Domestic Fowls have this peculiar 

 whim : when they are compelled, by rain, snow, or severe 

 frost, to take shelter during the day, they do not retire to their 

 dormitory, the hen-house, where they sleep at night, but pre- 

 fer some other building to which they can have access and us 

 as a drawing-room, and from which they will adjourn to bed, 

 when the proper time comes. 



