bantams] 



rOULTRY. 



[rUIZZLBD jrOWLS. 



windy weather, its owner ia borno along with it, 

 as if it were a sail. Tlio j)lutniif;o is black, 

 with a brilliant {jreen tnt'tallic lustre ; ami about 

 the head and neck are streaks of white, which 

 increase as the fowls approach maturity, at 

 which time tlie head ia nearly wliite. The 

 iei^s are feathered, not booted. The fowls are 

 Bantam-like in size, very plump, compactly 

 made, short in the leg, and exceedingly 

 spirited. The cockerels will light a cock of 

 any size, and make large Brahmas fly before 

 tliem. The little hen is a good layer. The 

 eirgs are almost invariably fertile. AVhen tho 

 chickens are hatched they are tiny black and 

 yellow things, with a slight appearance of a 

 turned ridge on each side of the head, a little 

 distance from the eye. They are active and 

 Imrdy — exceedingly so, considering the change 

 of climate they have had. The cock is a capital 

 father; as soon as the little hen will let him 

 (for she is a virago when she first gets her 

 brood), he takes as active a part with the young 

 ones as any hen can do, leading and feeding 

 them by day and watching them at night : this 

 attention he continues long alter the hen has 

 turned them off." 



" The Calcutta Jungle Bantam," says an in- 

 formant, " is not a Jungle fowl, but a domestic 

 bird from the coast of liangoon and the Straits, 

 and, although timid, has nothing very wild. 

 The real Jungle fowl I have shot, in great 

 numbers, on the range of hills running through 

 Midnapore to Hajmahaul. The cock is very 

 handsome and beautiful, delicately formed, 

 and something less than half the size of tlie 

 Malay fowl — his carriage and colour much the 

 same ; but he has a very small head, with 

 single comb ; his legs are not long, but clean, 

 with olive-yellow tinge; he stands very upright ; 

 spurs thin, and very sharp. He is courageous, 

 and generally has six or eight hens. The ben 

 is handsomely made ; blackish-brown, speckled, 

 with a diminutive head, and very dark-red round 

 the eyes. I have known many attempts to 

 domesticate these fowls, but none succeeded, 

 even when the eggs were set under a house 

 ben ; when the chicks were able to provide for 

 themselves they went off." 



Another says—" I believe, as yet, India is 

 known to possess but two species of Jungle 

 fowl — Callus BanJciva and Sonneralii ; the 

 former is supposed to be the origin of all our 



domesticated varieties, although doubted by 

 some. Experience hart jiroved that it can bo 

 domesticated, antl that the cross is fertile with 

 others, inttr se. Sonneratii have been bred with 

 Bantams, but rarely ; tho cross was not fertile, 

 thereby proving it a distinct species. Tlioso 

 birds are described as feather-legged ; there- 

 tore I take them to bu JJankiva, bred in-and- 

 in : by which means the feathered leg ia pro- 

 duced, and the loss of sickle feathers and 

 hackles, tho hen-hackle being produced, as in 

 the Sebright Bantams. 1 had, many years ago, 

 from India, Bantams identical with Baukiva, 

 although smaller, tlie hens of which were very 

 wild. By in-and-in breeding I produced tho 

 crested liamburgs (kuown as such for a 

 century before the erroneous nomenclature 

 of 1S18), wanting tho sickle feathers, and 

 with feathered legs, which I have found most 

 difficult to eradicate, each year producing 

 one or two, notwithstanding the introduction 

 of new blood. I have a pullet of this sort, 

 which I should have killed, but have kept, 

 thinking some of the curious in varieties 

 would like to have her." 



RUMPLESS, SILKY, NEGRO, AND FRIZZLED 

 FOWLS. 



Eumpless, Silky, Negro, and Frizzled fowls, 

 are interesting birds, and deserve the attention 

 of the fancier. Their leading characteristics 

 are indicated by their names, and the first are 

 found of all colours. They are more abundant 

 in Trance than in England, and have a singular 

 appearance, reminding one, to some extent, of 

 the English sheep dog. Their appearance 

 never fails to attract attention, whether in the 

 yard or at the exhibition ; but they find no 

 favour with the epicure, depriving bi:a of a 

 dainty morsel. 



" Of Silky fowls," says Mr. Richarason, 

 " there are several varieties, mostly direct im- 

 portations from the East, their merits being 

 unduly appreciated, and their cultivation as 

 good as neglected. As an exception, Mr. 

 Bedingfield, of Ditchingham Park, Norfolk, 

 adopting the judicious plan of having only one 

 sort of fowl about his house, selected silk 

 fowls for the purpose. They increased well, 

 laid a sufficiency of eggs, and proved most 

 docile sitters and nurses, both for their own 

 young, and for pheasants and partridges. 



b'SO 



