BRAHMAS. 179 



long, and with a gentle though lively expression. The legs 

 are yellow in the Light breed and in Dark cocks, slightly 

 dusky yellow in the Dark hens. 



The economic merits of Brahmas are high. Before 

 being spoilt by breeding to the Cochin type, the pullets and 

 hens were capital layers, several instances being recorded in 

 the earlier days, and we ourselves having had two instances, 

 of hens which have laid over 200 eggs in a year. They do 

 not sit so often as Cochins when pure bred, usually laying 

 from twenty-five to forty eggs first. Both fowls and 

 chickens are hardy, and grow very fast, being early ready 

 for table. The pure race is also white or pinky, not yellow 

 in skin, and white in flesh ; in fact, the race when unspoilt 

 compares almost exactly in the same way as the Langshan 

 with the modern Cochin, including the point of a deep 

 breast. Brahmas bear confinement quite as well as Cochins, 

 being, however, far more sprightly, and less liable on that 

 account to prejudicial internal fattening. 



Unfortunately, the extreme care in breeding for marking 

 during late years has very much impaired the laying 

 qualities of many exhibition strains, and also their constitu- 

 tions. It is still more to be regretted that imitation of the 

 Cochin model has impaired to some extent the table 

 qualities, the loose lumpy plumage bringing coarse skin and 

 coarse flesh, and the want of breast losing one of the 

 characteristic points of the fowl. There are breeders and 

 judges who adhere to the old model, and it cannot be too 

 much insisted upon. At the best, however, the flesh, 

 though superior to that of the Cochin, is much inferior 

 after six months to that of the Dorking, and the pure breed 

 is not, therefore, a good market fowl. 



A cross with Houdan, Creve, or Dorking produces 

 magnificent birds, hardy as hardy can be, of most rapid 

 growth, and carrying immense quantities of meat. Such 



