FARM- YARD FOWLS. 



137 



feathered tribes of Ceylon, the most remarkable 

 is the Tailless Cock, at present, we believe, only 

 known in its wild state in the forests," etc. 



If the Rumpless fowl be really a remnant of 

 the original Fauna of Ceylon, it will be a pity 

 if it be suffered to become extinct, although it 

 be one of Blumenbach's defective monsters. 



"It is hardly possible," says Blaine, " to cavil 

 at Temminck's evidence of its existence in Cey- 

 lon." In reply to Buffon's fairy tale that cocks, 

 when transported to Virginia, lose that portion 

 of their person on which the tail grows a ro- 

 mance that seems to have imposed on the sober 

 Dr. Latham he says, "We can positively state 

 that Buffon's opinion has not been confirmed ; 

 this Rumpless cock was not originated in the 

 New World, since the primitive species inhabits 

 the Island of Ceylon. The hen makes her nest 

 on the ground ; it is rudely constructed with 

 fine grass, and resembles the nest of the par- 

 tridge. The disposition of this bird is wild ; the 

 cock utters his crow, which, though less sono- 

 rous than that of our domestic cock, has still 

 the same cadence. The Cingalese designate 

 this species by the name of Wallikikilli ; which 

 means ' Cock of the Woods.' " 



Aldrovandus describes the cock as black, in- 

 terspersed with yellow streaks, and the chief 

 wing feathers white, the breast white, and feet 

 ash-gray. The hen has a smaller comb than 

 the cock, and is of a rusty color except three 

 black feathers in each wing.* 



Mr. Dixon remarks that "the cock which 

 they call Persian differs from our own sorts 

 mainly in having no tail ; in other respects it is 

 very much like them. The cock, however, has 

 a sort of tail, as shown in one of the portraits on 

 the opposite page. It was all black, sprink- 

 led with yellow lines ; the first quill-feathers 

 were white, the rest black ; the feet ashy. The 

 hen was like our own with respect to carriage, 

 and of extremely different color from the male, 

 whence I attach little weight to diversity of color, 

 except the three quill-feathers, which were black. 

 Her comb, if you can compare it with the comb 

 of the male, was much smaller. 



" In the very light breeds the hen is white, 

 with yellowish neck-hackles ; rose comb ; slight- 

 ly grizzled tail; and legs bluish- white as in 



the cock. Height about fourteen inches, and 

 weight rather under five pounds. Their eggs 

 average two and a half ounces each in weight. 

 but they are no better than the common fowls 

 as layers." 



Hens of this species are without the caudal 

 feathers, as well as all the coverts, which in 

 other birds are planted on the rump ; the cock of 

 this species is also distinguished from the others 

 that we have described by having his comb 

 round, and without indentations. "I am un- 

 acquainted," says Blaine, "with the colors of 

 the primitive female of this rare species, the 

 Governor of Ceylon, to whom I am indebted 

 for information respecting this wild cock, hav- 

 ing sent me only a very old male, and a second 

 individual, male also, at the stage when the comb 

 arid wattles .begin to show themselves. These 

 individuals have the same distinctive characters, 

 and the colors of their plumage absolutely cor- 

 respond. The different domestic races of this 

 species are distinguished by different colored 

 plumage : most of the cocks have indented 

 combs like those of our farm-yard fowls ; others 

 have also the double comb." In all the speci- 

 mens we have seen the comb has become either 

 single or serrated, but nearly as often doubled 

 another proof of changes by domestication. 



Aldrovandus's Rumpless cock is represented 

 with a large double comb, that is protruded back- 

 ward like a tail. They are not small, being at 

 least of the average size of fowls. No informa- 

 tion is given as to their laying or sitting quali- 

 ties. 



Mr. Nolan, of Dublin, gives them this faint 

 praise : " I consider them rather a superior de- 

 scription of fowl ; and the hen-wives who muti- 

 late their stock, both cocks and hens, by depriv- 

 ing them of their tail, can not object to the 

 Rumpless, as they are perfectly unincumbered 

 by that appendage." 



We have never before heard of the cruel, and 

 we might say brutal practice of cutting off a 

 fowl's rump. It certainly does not add to its 

 beauty when alive ; and we do not think that 

 many would be found who would torture it when 

 living, merely to make it look more compact 

 when on the table. Nor do we imagine it would 

 take less food to sustain it. 



