64 THE IMPOETANCE OF BIRD LIFE 



suit has been a great increase in the number of 

 breeds of fowl and an enormous addition to the 

 list of minor varieties and strains. For example, 

 there were in the time of Darwin about seven 

 recognized varieties of Polish fowl; now there 

 are nearly thirty. 



The following are a few of the fowl now em- 

 ployed in America. We have buff cochins, 

 brahmas, Plymouth Rocks, wyandottes, Orping- 

 tons, Rhode Island reds, chittagongs, Indian 

 games, Malays, black Spanish, Leghorns, blue 

 Andalusians, Minorcas, Anconas, Hamburgs, 

 Houdans, dorkings, FaveroUes, and langshans. 

 These are virtually all utility breeds, whereas 

 there remain a great quantity of fancy varieties 

 of minor economic value, and innumerable ban- 

 tams. 



The origin of some of these breeds and strains 

 is highly complex. Many are the result of crosses 

 and re-crosses and inter-crosses so mingled as to 

 defy any attempt at analysis. Some have been 

 recently created; others are almost as ancient as 

 European civilization. Native American strains 

 are comparatively new, whereas the five-toed 

 dorking, for instance, was introduced into Britain 

 by the Romans. 



Of all the modem American breeds, the Ply- 

 mouth Rock has proved the most important. The 

 name was first applied to a very much crossed 

 fowl produced in 1850, but this bird was not the 



