THE POULTRY BOOK. 
81 
exhaust the subject that little remains to he added respecting it. With regard 
to the breeding stock, Mr. Ballance states that his experience goes to prove 
that the male bird has the greatest influence over the colour of the chickens, 
and the female over the size — this latter character, however, being much dependent 
on the system of management and feeding adopted whilst the birds are in their 
earliest stages of chickenhood. 
Malays lay moderate-sized eggs, averaging about two and a half ounces each in 
weight. The shells usually are coloured — a pale chocolate. The size and colour, 
however, vary ; for pullets under a year old sometimes lay eggs equal in size to those 
of any description of duck, and some hens two and three years old lay eggs very 
little larger than those of a good-sized bantam. Some eggs are as white as a 
Spanish hen’s egg, and others vary from a light cream to a deep rich bufi’, and 
even to a brown. As a general rule, the light-brown birds are produced from the 
darkest eggs, and the dark-brown birds from the cream-coloured or paler eggs. 
Malay hens are moderately good layers, and exceedingly good sitters and 
mothers ; but from their irascible character they do not admit of being handled 
and shifted about during the period of hatching in the same manner as Cochins. 
Of the cross breeds of Malays, several have already been described. There re- 
mains, however, a breed known as the Pheasant Malay, which occasionally makes its 
appearance in the “any other variety” class at the poultry shows. These birds 
are small spangled-breasted fowls, probably obtained by crossing the Malays with 
a spangled breed like the Hamburghs. In their plumage they are sometimes 
especially beautiful ; but they want the definite characteristics of a very distinct 
variety, and consequently do not appear likely ever to attain to the honour of 
having a separate class at our shows. In the United States of America, a large 
variety of Malay was formerly held in much estimation, being known as the 
Chittagong — a name which, according to Mowbray’s Treatise, was formerly used 
in this country as synonymous with that of Malay. 
