The Illustrated Book of Poultry . 
well as Burnham — we find more or less of strong personal rivalry and personal motive; 
Cornish alone, as Mr. Plaisted admits, never exhibited these fowls, and as a respectable public 
servant his testimony therefore, in our judgment, confirmed as we have seen it to be, outweighs 
all the rest put together. On the other hand, that the Dark Brahma may really, in the way above 
su gg es t e d, be credited to Burnham, is what we are upon the whole disposed to believe ; more than 
belief being impossible in consequence of the maze of contradiction by which he has obscured 
whatever did take place. It may be well to add that another almost conclusive proof of the 
original unity of the strain is found in the peculiar white lacing or border to the upper pair 
of feathers in the cock’s tail. The first to point this out as a characteristic of the best strains 
of Light Brahmas was undoubtedly Mr. F. Crook, but he appears (not being a Dark Brahma 
breeder) to have had no suspicion that the same peculiarity was often found in the Dark 
breed ; and this discovery was, we believe, first made by ourselves. It is not uncommon, and 
the beautiful Dark cockerel selected for portraiture in this work possessed this very peculiar 
feature in perfection, though “ as black as a coal ” in all the under parts of his body. The 
common possession of such a very characteristic and peculiar point as this is about as strong 
evidence of a common origin as could well be. 
The importance of this matter, as we noted at commencing, with regard to the whole subject 
of the origin of species, must be our apology for devoting so much space to it, though in this 
we have only followed the example of others. We may now proceed to consider the breed 
practically in detail. 
Both Dark and Light varieties of the Brahma should be precisely alike in size, shape, and 
carriage, as are the different varieties of Cochins, only differing in colour. Formerly the Light 
breed was far behind the Dark in these respects ; so far that it was even attempted by Light 
breeders to urge that their variety should be judged by a less stringent standard, but for this 
in either variety there is no ground whatever, and wisely. Light birds have been bred as fine, 
or even finer than the Darks. It only needs judgment in mating and care in rearing, to breed 
either as fine as ever ; and we have been glad to see several breeders of late have adopted our 
frequently published recommendation, and by obtaining a cross of the large though rather coarse 
American Light stock, have made great gain in point of size and vigour. A full-grown cock of 
either breed cannot be regarded as up to exhibition standard if he weighs less than twelve pounds, 
while hens should weigh eight to ten pounds. Cockerels six months old should weigh from seven 
to nine pounds, and pullets six to eight pounds. These are very good weights, and after long 
experience we have not the slightest hesitation in saying that for all practical purposes birds 
which reach these weights are to be preferred to heavier ; but they will very often be exceeded, 
and cocks have been known to us which have reached fifteen, sixteen, and in one case just over 
eighteen pounds, while many hens have been known to turn the scale on twelve pounds. Of 
course, if such birds are fine in their other points they are very valuable for exhibition, and 
there cannot be a doubt that the Brahma may easily be made to attain a greater weight than 
any other breed, not excepting the Cochin ; but as a rule we have found that moderate-sized 
birds are healthier, more prolific in eggs, keep their plumage in better order, and generally breed 
fner and larger stock than the very largest birds. We say as a rule, because there are occasionally 
found birds which have grown very large without any special feeding, and breed naturally a 
,arge stock, with no apparent loss of fertility. Such are to be valued, and by their means a large 
strain may be established and perpetuated ; but forcing size in this breed is to be especially 
condemned. The effect is nearly always to make the plumage soft and slack-looking ; and as 
