Managemeni and Exhibition of Cochins. 229 



yet has even hinted. It is, that when the ear-lobe of a Cochin has been b7-illiantly florid, very thin, 

 and fine in textnre, I never met with such a bird, in even all my experience, that did not possess 

 many other remarkably well-developed Cochin characters. It is quite true such an ear-lobe (and I 

 mean one pendant to the bottom of the wattles, and even occasionally below them) may co-exist 

 with a ' drop-comb,' or perchance twisted tail, or again have the mealy wing — these failings may 

 arise ; but for general development of real good ' quality^ just note for yourself such birds as do 

 really possess these fine ear-lobes for the future, and you will be surprised how unbroken is the result 

 as to fine ' quality ' generally. In fact, it is a simple rule that appears to be an invariable one." 



Picking out " wasters " from Cochin chickens is somewhat difficult ; Buff birds disfigured by 

 black spots or splashes may, however, be safely condemned ; and so may bad combs, which last 

 never become straight, though straight combs, as remarked in the next paragraph, often become 

 crooked. Narrow birds often "fill out" and subsequently make fine show fowls, especially if the 

 cushion appear pretty large in proportion. Partridge cocks when young often show a great deal 

 of brown about the fluff and sides of the breast, which afterwards moults out to an unexceptionable 

 black ; great caution should therefore be exercised before rejecting them for this fault. Pullets 

 which appear rather hocked when young often acquire almost perfect hocks when full grown, and 

 birds only slightly hocked should therefore be kept to see how they turn out ; while cockerels, on the 

 contrary, at an adult age, frequently show more hock than ever. Mealiness also in Buffs, especially 

 in the cock's wing, rarely or never improves with age, and may therefore be condemned as soon 

 as possible. 



Pullets intended for show should be sedulously kept from company with the male bird, as the 

 soft downy plumage is very easily injured. The best time to show, as with most other fowls, is 

 just before laying, when anything more indescribably " pretty" than a well-bred Cochin's head can 

 scarcely be imagined, unless the preference be given to the head of a Brahma. There is another 

 reason for not showing pullets earlier, the want of knowing which has occasioned the spoiling for 

 show of many beautiful birds. Many persons have remarked on the frequency with which perfectly 

 straight and fine combs become crooked or twisted as the birds become adult ; but we have 

 perfectly satisfied ourselves, from personal observation, that the change frequently takes place 

 during a single show, when birds are sent whose combs, owing to their youth, have not attained 

 their full development. The heat of the gas and excitement of the crowd appears in such cases 

 to " draw up " the combs with marvellous rapidity — they want tone and strength to bear their own 

 weight — and the mischief is done ; whereas, in many cases, had they been kept at home till the 

 combs were fully developed, the ordeal would be borne without injury.* In some cases we have 

 reason to believe that a comb relaxed and overgrown in this or any other way may be restored by 

 daily bathing with some strong astringent, such as a solution of sulphate of zinc, but this must 

 be carefully kept from entering the eyes. 



To keep Cochins in health when confined they must — more than any other variety — be 

 plentifully supplied with green food ; if not, their digestive system soon suffers, and the plumage 

 becomes ragged and scurfy. Particular care must also be exercised to prevent over-feeding,- as this 

 breed has a special tendency to accumulate internal fat, causing sterility, disease, and even death. 

 Indian corn is therefore not good food for them as a rule, though we have known individual birds 

 which throve upon it better than upon anything else. In severe cases of this prejudicial fattening 

 the hinder part of the body almost touches the ground, penguin-fashion, and if this be not speedily 



• Mr. Hewitt writes that he can fully and literally corroborate our statement on this point, having often seen the injury here 

 referred to. 



