FOWLS 



consequently all these races have become well established and 

 at times popular. It is notable that in all fowls of this class 

 the odd character is added to the others or is an exaggeration 

 of a regular character. There are two other classes of odd types 

 of fowls. The first of these is made up of a small group of 

 varieties defective in one character ; the second comprises the 

 dwarf varieties, most of which are miniatures of larger varieties. 



Silky fowls. In all races of fowls individuals sometimes ap- 

 pear in which the web of the feathers is of a peculiar formation, 

 resembling hair. Such fowls 

 are called silkies. They are 

 occasionally exhibited as curi- 

 osities but are not often bred 

 to reproduce this character. 

 There is one distinct race of 

 white fowls, so small that it is 

 usually classed as a bantam, 

 having feathers of this kind. 



Frizzled fowls. The feathers 

 of a fowl are sometimes curled 

 at the tips, like the short curls 

 in the feathers which indicate 

 the sex of a drake. Such birds 

 are called frizzles or frizzled 

 fowls. True frizzles, like true 

 silkies from races having nor- 

 mal plumage, are very rare. Many of the fowls exhibited at 

 poultry shows as Frizzles are ordinary birds the feathers of 

 which have been curled artificially. 



Rumpless fowls. The tail feathers of a fowl are borne on a 

 fleshy protuberance at the lower end of the spine. It some- 

 times happens that one or more of the lower vertebrae are 

 missing. In that case the fowl has no tail and the feathers on 

 the back, which in a normal fowl divide and hang down at each 



FIG. 55. Single-Combed White Or- 

 pington hen. (Photograph from 

 Bureau of Animal Industry, United 

 States Department of Agriculture) 



