276 FOWLS. Chap. VII. 



generally, there are many variously shaped open spaces, the bone 

 forming an irregular reticulation. A medial, longitudinal, arched 

 ribbon of bone is generally retained, but in one specimen there was 

 no bone whatever over the whole protuberance, and the skull, when 

 cleaned and viewed from above, presented the appearance of an open 

 basin. The change in the whole internal form of the skull is sur- 

 prisingly great. The brain is modified in a corresponding manner. 

 as is shown in the two longitudinal sections, which deserve attentive 

 consideration. The upper and anterior cavity of the three into 

 which the skull may be divided, is the one which is so greatly 

 modified ; it is evidently much larger than in the Cochin skull of 

 the same size, and extends much further beyond the interorbital 

 septum, but laterally is less deep. This cavity, as I hear from Mr. 

 Tegetmeier, is entirely filled with brain. In the skull of the Cochin 

 and of all ordinary fowls a strong internal ridge of bone separates 

 the anterior from the central cavity ; but this ridge is quite absent 

 in the Polish skull here figured. The shape of the central cavity is 

 circular in the Polish, and lengthened in the Cochin skull. The 

 shape of the posterior cavity, together with the position, size, and 

 number of the pores for the nerves, differ much in these two skulls. 

 A pit deeply penetrating the occipital bone of the Cochin is entirely 

 absent in this Polish skull, whilst in another specimen it was well 

 developed- In this second specimen the whole interna] surface of 

 the posterior cavity likewise differs to a certain extent in shape. 

 I made sections of two other skulls, — namely, of a Polish fowl with 

 the protuberance singularly little developed, and of a Sultan in 

 which it was a little more developed ; and when these two skulls 

 were placed between the two above figured (fig. 35), a perfect gra- 

 dation in the configuration of each part of the internal surface could 

 be traced. In the Polish skull, with a small protuberance, the ridge 

 between the anterior and middle cavities was present, but low; and 

 in the Sultan this ridge was replaced by a narrow furrow standing 

 on a broad raised eminence. 



It may naturally be asked whether these remarkable modifications 

 in the form of the brain affect the intellect of Polish fowls ; some 

 writers have stated that they are extremely stupid, but Bechstein 

 and Mr. Tegetmeier have shown that this is by no means generally 

 the case. Nevertheless Bechstein 69 states that he had a Polish hen 

 which " was crazy, and anxiously wandered about all day long - ." 

 A hen in my possession was solitary in her habits, and was often so 

 absorbed in reverie that she could be touched ; she was also deficient 

 in the most singular manner in the faculty of finding her way, so 

 that, if she strayed a hundred yards from her feeding-place, she 

 was completely lost, and would then obstinately try to proceed in a 

 wrong direction. I have received other and similar accounts of 

 Polish fowls appearing stupid or half-idiotic. 70 



69 ' Naturgeschichte Deutschlands,' have received communications to a 

 Band iii. (1798). s. 400. similar effect from Messrs. Brent and 



79 The • Field ' May 11th, 1861. I Tegetmeier. 



