THE POULTRY BOOK. 
77 
The legs in both sexes should be characterized by strength and size ; in colour 
they should be brilliant yellow, and without a vestige of feathers appearing on the 
sides. 
The general colour of the plumage of the hens in this variety is reddish broAvn, 
verging into that of wetted cinnamon in the darker breeds. 
In the Pile Malays, now so seldom seen, the hackles in the cock are red and 
white ; the breasts white or mottled, and the general plumage of the hens white, 
mottled with chestnut red. 
The plumage of the White Malays is soon described : the face, comb, and 
naked skin of the throat should be bright red, the feet and legs bright yellow, and 
the feathers purely white. 
With regard to the general habits of Malays, Mr. Hewitt states : — “I am not 
aw^are of any variety of fowls so cruel, oppressive, and vindictive as Malays ; they are 
literally, when kept with other varieties, the tyrants of a poultry-yard. From their 
great strength, they are able to inflict severe injury on their opponents, frequently 
treading them down, and then actually tearing them to pieces. They, however, 
appear rather to rely on their superior physical strength than on their real courage 
and activity, for I have frequently known an agile, sharp-fighting Game-cock (not, 
perhaps, one-third their own Aveight) make them cower almost immediately, and 
run into the first corner that offered itself for temporary protection ; — hut, on the 
contrary, any want of self-possession manifested by their opponents is certain to be 
taken advantage of ; and Avith an irresolute cock they will continue fighting Avith 
the most pertinacious obstinacy. 
“ In confined premises they very frequently contract a most injurious habit of 
eating away each other’s plumage, which they continue to so great an extent as 
eventually to seriously affect the constitution of the fowls thus attacked ; constantly 
plucldng away the half-grown feathers, and sometimes eating large portions 
of the skin, occasioning serious inflammatory disease. The upper part of the 
neck, throat, second joint of wings, and the thighs, seem to he the points in their 
victims most alluring to birds that have contracted this truly depraved habit. 
I have proved that a more extended range, plenty of green food, and a little very 
fine bone-dust (mixed with their soft meat) Avill speedily correct this evil ; indeed, 
my own impression is that the habit is often acquired, when Malays are too closely 
confined, from a spirit of pure idleness, arising from listless inactivity. The birds 
at the onset eat feathers that, having been accidentally shed, were lying about in 
places where they were accustomed to stand to sun themselves. Sometimes when 
the evil practice has been too long persisted in, the plumage, when restored, is 
quite altered in colour (becoming a dirty grey, or even actually white), giving the 
bird a piebald appearance, which even several moults will not rectify ; for in such 
cases I have known this party-coloured feathering to continue for many years, even 
until the fowls died of natural decay. For this reason, the more expeditious the means 
used for prevention the better ; as fowls such as those just described, or those in a 
state of semi-nudity, are certain of non-success in the exhibition pen, howeA^er 
