102 



THE AMERICAN POULTERER'S COMPANION. 



QUEEN VICTORIA'S COCHINS. 



whatever Oriental region derived, it is a most 

 valuable variety, and the only fear is that state- 

 ments of its merits have been set forth so highly 

 exaggerated, that they must lead to disappoint- 

 ment, and cause the breed to be as much unde- 

 servedly underrated as it has been before fool- 

 ishly exalted. 



" They differ very little in their qualities, hab- 

 its, and general appearance, from our (later in- 

 troduced) Shanghais, to which they are undoubt- 

 edly nearly related. The egg is nearly the same 

 size, shape, and color ; both have an equal 

 development of comb and wattles, the Cochin 

 slightly differing from the Shanghais chiefly 

 in being somewhat deeper and fuller in the 

 breast, not quite so deep in the quarter, and 

 being usually smooth-legged, while the Shang- 

 hais generally are more or less heavily feath- 

 ered. The plumage is much the same in both 

 cases. The cock's comb is usually single, erect, 

 serrated, and of a brilliant scarlet, but not al- 

 ways single ; the wattles are large ; the hackles 



on the neck and hips yellowish -brown ; the tail 

 black, with metallic lustre, and when fully fur- 

 nished presents the usual cock's plume ; the legs 

 vary from a flesh-color to an orange-yellow, and 

 are not so long as in the Malay; the eggs are 

 buff-colored, of large size, and blunt at both 

 ends ; the chickens progress rapidly in size, but 

 feather slowly." 



Another writer describes the Cochin cock as 

 having a large, upright, single, deeply indented 

 comb, very much resembling that of the black 

 Spanish, and when in high condition, of quite 

 as brilliant a scarlet ; like him also, he has a 

 very large ear-lobe or ear-cheek. This is not 

 an indispensable, if even a required qualification ; 

 it is, however, to be preferred, for beauty at 

 least, if not as a mark of pure breed. The wat- 

 tles are large, wide, and pendent. The legs are 

 of a flesh-color ; some specimens have them yel- 

 low, which is objectionable. The feathers on 

 the breast and sides are of a light chestnut- 

 brown, large and well defined, giving a scaly or 



