DORKING FOWLS. 17 



possess such a variety, and to know where to ob- 

 tain it in perfection. The surveyor pretends that 

 the Dorking fowls are all raised in the Weald 

 of Sussex, and that Horsham is the chief market 

 for them. That their having five claws is hy no 

 means their true and original characteristic, such 

 peculiarity being merely fortuitous, and, in fact, ob- 

 jectionable : and that those so marked are deemed 

 a bastard breed. No doubt it is probable, that their 

 five claws might have accidentally brought into notice 

 certain fine and well-formed individuals, but from 

 those proceeded a distinguished permanent variety, 

 and that variety bearing the name of Dorking, 

 seems a sufficient proof in favour of that town and 

 its neighbourhood. In the mean time, the appella- 

 tion of Dorking fowl has been in use, I apprehend, 

 far beyond the memory of any one now living : and 

 it is not at all improbable, the large Sussex breed has 

 originated from a Dorking cross, the peculiar mark of 

 five claws disappearing in the course of time, from the 

 small number of Dorking cocks employed, compared 

 with that of the Sussex, or common cocks, which were 

 not so distinguished. Such is a common case in 

 crossing varieties of live stock ; the home variety in 

 the end gets uppermost, as being the majority. In 

 fine, five claws form an original distinction in the 

 common cock and hen, adverted to by Buffon ; nor is 

 there any thing inconvenient or injurious in it, the 

 fifth claw being seldom of sufficient magnitude to 

 encumber the foot, or cause it to scratch out the eggs, 

 as has been apprehended. 



