300 THE RUMPLESS FOWL. 



but it certainly has been extant in Europe for the last two or 

 three hundred years. In the spring of 1848, a pair of very 

 good specimens, with brown and white plumage, were exhibited 

 at the Surrey Zoological Gardens, and labelled as " from 

 Persia." Twenty or thirty years ago, when weavers and other 

 artificers took more delight in tulip-beds, stages of auriculas, 

 and Fancy Fowls and Pigeons, than in the Physical v. Moral 

 Force Question, I have frequently seen gray-plumaged Runi- 

 kins, as well as Frizzled Fowls and other curiosities, walking 

 about the streets, and " plains/' and churchyards of Norwich. 

 Those sources of amusement are now much neglected. But 

 if the Rumkin be really a remnant of the original Fauna of 

 Ceylon, it will be a pity if it be suffered to become extinct, 

 although it be one of Blumenbach's defective monsters, (mon- 



is also distinguished from the other Cocks that we have described, by 

 having his comb round, and without indentations." [He then mi- 

 nutely describes the plumage.] " I am unacquainted with the colours 

 of the primitive female of this rare species, the Governor of Ceylon 

 to whom I am indebted for information respecting this wild Cock, 

 having sent me only a very old male, and a second individual, male 

 also, at the stage when the comb and wattles begin to show them- 

 selves : an adult male is deposited in the cabinet of Mr. Raye de 

 Breukelerwaert, at Amsterdam. These three individuals have the 

 same distinctive characters, and the colour of their plumage abso- 

 lutely correspond. The different domestic races of this species are 

 distinguished by different coloured plumage ; most of the Cocks have 

 indented combs like those of our village Cocks ; others have also the 

 double comb. I have not yet met with one having a smooth comb, 

 and without indentations ; this last race, if it exist, would be that 

 which retains most of the source, or first type. It is scarcely pos- 

 sible to furnish particulars of the origin of the domesticity of the 

 Rumpless Cocks ; the date of it, nevertheless, ought to be more re- 

 cent than that of the other species which have produced the village 

 Cocks ; but inquiries on this subject cannot be established by proofs : 

 they lose themselves in the night of time." 



