268 FOWLS. Chap. VII. 



analogous variation, for some wild gallinaceous birds, for 

 instance, the Polyplectron, have double spurs. 



Judging from the differences which generally distinguish 

 the sexes in the Gallinacege, certain characters in our domestic 

 fowls appear to have been transferred from the one sex to the 

 other. In all the species (except in Turnix), when there is 

 any conspicuous difference in plumage between the male and 

 female, the male is always the most beautiful ; but in golden- 

 spangled Ilamburghs the hen is equally beautiful with the 

 cock, and incomparably more beautiful than the hen in any 

 natural species of G alius; so that here a masculine character 

 has been transferred to the female. On the other hand, in 

 Cuckoo Dorkings and in other cuckoo breeds the pencilling, 

 which in Gallus is a female attribute, has been transferred 

 to the male : nor, on the principle of analogous variation, is 

 this transference surprising, as the males in many gallinaceous 

 genera are barred or pencilled. With most of these birds 

 head ornaments of all kinds are more fully developed in the 

 male than in the female; but in Polish fowls the crest or 

 top knot, which in the male replaces the comb, is equally 

 developed in both sexes. In the males of certain other sub- 

 breeds, which from the hen having a small crest, are called 

 lark-crested, " a single upright comb sometimes almost en- 

 tirely takes the place of the crest." ^* From this latter case, 

 and more especially from some facts presently to be given 

 with respect to the protuberance of the skull in Polish 

 fowls, the crest in this breed must be viewed as a feminine 

 character which has been transferred to the male. In the 

 Spanish breed the male, as we know, has an immense comb, 

 and this has been partially transferred to the female, for her 

 comb is unusually large, though not ujOTght. In Game 

 fowls the bold and savage disposition of the male has like- 

 wise been largely transferred to the female ; ^^ and she some- 

 times even possesses the eminently masculine character of 

 spurs. Manj- cases are on record of fertile hens being furnished 



'* Dixon, ' Ornamental and Domes- bative, that it is now generally the 



tic Poultrv,' p. 320. practice to exhibit each hen in a 



^^ Mr. Tegetmeier informs me that separate pen. 

 Game hens hare been found so com- 



