ASIATIC FOWLS. 



103 



imbricated appearance to those parts. The 

 hackle of the neck is of a bright yellowish-brown ; 

 the lower feathers being tipped with dark brown, 

 so as to give a spotted appearance to the neck. 

 The tail feathers are black, and darkly irides- 

 cent ; back, scarlet orange ; back hackle, yellow 

 orange. It is, in short, altogether a flame-col- 

 ored bird. Both sexes are larger in the leg, in 

 proportion, than the Spanish or Malay. 



YELLOW OR BUFF COCHINS. 



Mr. G. P. Burnham, of Boston, communicates 

 the following in reference to two importations 

 of Cochin fowl by him in 1850. He says, " I 

 obtained two lots of these fowls. one batch of 

 six, from J. J. Nolan, of Dublin, and the other 

 direct from Canton. The prevailing color of 

 my birds is yellow, or yellowish-brown pullets, 

 and yellow and red, or yellow, red and brown 

 cocks. They have not deviated from this range 

 of color except in two or three broods out of the 

 dark Canton cock. The chicks come even in 

 size and plumage ; and down to the third gen- 

 eration they have bred exactly the same ; this 

 is a very satisfactory result, in my estimation. 

 I have never yet seen a black, a gray, a white, 

 or a speckled chick from this stock. 



" For all purposes of a really good domestic 

 fowl, whether I speak of productiveness, easy 

 keeping, laying qualities, size, disposition, beau- 

 ty of form and plumage, or hardiness (in this 

 climate), after a careful comparative trial, I deem 

 the Cochin the best. And to my fancy they have 

 no equals among the varieties now known in 

 America." 



The merits of the Cochin are such that it 

 may safely be recommended to persons residing 

 in the country. For the inhabitants of cities it 

 is less desirable, as the light tone of its plumage 

 would show every mark of dirt or defilement, 

 and also the readiness with which they sit would 

 be an inconvenience, rather than not, in fami- 

 lies with whom everlasting layers are most in 

 requisition. 



There is considerable difference in the fowls 

 called Cochin, some of which are loose-jointed, 

 crane-like concerns, with legs long enough to 

 step over a pretty high fence ; these are a dis- 

 grace to the tribe. Many persons owning fowls 



of this description have, after a short trial, dis- 

 carded them, and justly conclude that there is a 

 great deal of " gammon" in the " hue and cry" 

 about fancy poultry. 



Cochin fowl have for a few years been slowly 

 recovering from the undeserved neglect into 

 which they were cast, when it was found they 

 were something less than a good horse or Dur- 

 ham cow. They were unfairly treated ; they 

 were made things of speculation rather than 

 utility : an ideal standard was set up ; real solid 

 advantages were set at naught for imaginary 

 wants ; they were unnaturally forced and fed 

 till they were useless, save for exhibition, and 

 incapable of laying. Lately, however, they have 

 been improving in quality and form. 



The hen approaches in her form more nearly 

 to the Dorking than any other, except that the 

 tail is very small and proportion ably depressed ; 

 it is smaller and more horizontal, I think, than 

 any other fowl. Her comb is moderate-sized, al- 

 most small ; she has also a small white ear-lobe. 

 Her coloring is flat, being a compound of various 

 shades of very light brown, with light yellow on 

 the neck. Her appearance is quiet, and only 

 attracts attention by its extreme neatness, clean- 

 ness, and compactness. 



The eggs are smooth, of an oval shape, nearly 

 equally rounded at each end, of a rich buff color,, 

 and average about two ounces each. The newly- 

 hatched chickens appear very large in propor- 

 tion to the size of the eggs. They have light 

 flesh-colored bills, feet, and legs, and are thickly 

 covered with down of a carroty-brown. They 

 are not less thrifty than other chickens, and 

 feather somewhat more uniformly than either 

 the Malay or black Spanish. A peculiarity in 

 the cockerels is, that they do not show even the 

 rudiments of their tail feathers till they are 

 nearly full grown. They increase so rapidly in 

 other directions, that there is no material to 

 spare for the production of the decorative ap- 

 pendages. The pullets are less backward in 

 shooting their tails ; and the distinction alone 

 is sufficient to denote the respective sexes at a 

 very eatiy age. The young cocks are later than 

 others in coming to crow. 



Reverting to the habits and dispositions of 

 these birds, we can not describe them by two 



