64 THE BIRDS 



Langshans.— The Langshan is not as large as the Brahma 

 nor as popular. Its early history is rather obscure. These 

 birds originated in England, but have been materially im- 

 proved in this country by breeding. The Langshans are 

 much larger, longer legged, and more stilted looking than 

 other meat breeds. They have high tails, which reach to the 

 height of the top of the head. A line drawn from the point 

 of the beak to the bottom of the foot, thence up to the top 

 of the tail would outline the whole body in a V-shape. The 

 Langshan has rather a large comb, a lighter hackle, and 

 shankless feathers. The most characteristic features of the 

 Langshan are the long leg and high tail. There are two varie- 

 ties, the black and the white, the black being by far the 

 most common. The white Langshan has never attained much 

 prominence. The dull black with the green sheen is very 

 beautiful, but has the serious disadvantage of a black shank, 

 dark skin, and dark breast, and the American house-wiv^ 

 demand yellow skin and shanks of the American type for 

 the table. The Langshans are fairly good foragers and make 

 ideal roasters and capons (Fig. 42). 



Cochins. — The Cochins are quite different in appearance 

 from the Brahmas and Langshans, being neither as large nor 

 as tall. They have very heavy shank feathering, and some- 

 what resemble a large ball, being as deep as they are long. 

 They have a rather small single comb, and small wattles, 

 but the most characteristic feature is the heavy mass of 

 feathers on the back, called the cushion or saddle. The 

 Cochins, as a breed, are of Asiatic origin, but were greatly 

 improved and developed in England. As an Asiatic breed, 

 they were called Shanghais. There are four common varie- 

 ties — buff, partridge, white,and black — the buff and partridge 

 being the most popular, and the buff is the most comanon of 

 all (Fig. 43). The popularity of Cochins has greatly declined 

 in the last few years, owing chiefly to their small egg yield 

 and secondly, to the fact that they have more and more 



