widely prevalent prejudice
against this bird. I am informed by the Rev. S. Erhardt that on the east
coast of Africa, from 4 deg. to 6 deg. south of the equator, most of the pagan
tribes at the present day hold the fowl in aversion. The natives of the
Pellew Islands would not eat the fowl, nor will the Indians in some parts
of S. America. For the ancient history of the fowl, see also Volz,
'Beitrage zur Culturgeschichte,' 1852, s. 77; and Isid. Geoffroy St.
Hilaire, 'Hist. Nat. Gen.,' tom. iii. p. 61. Mr. Crawfurd has given an
admirable history of the fowl in his paper 'On the Relation of Domesticated
Animals to Civilisation,' read before the Brit. Assoc. at Oxford in 1860,
and since printed separately. I quote from him on the Greek poet Theognis,
and on the Harpy Tomb described by Sir C. Fellowes. I quote from a letter
of Mr. Blyth's with respect to the Institutes of Manu.

[394] 'Ornamental and Domestic Poultry,' 1847, p. 185; for passages
translated from Columella, _see_ p. 312. For Golden Hamburghs, _see_
Albin's 'Natural History of Birds,' 3 vols., with plates, 1731-38.

[395] 'Ornamental and Domestic Poultry,' p. 152.

[396] Ferguson on 'Rare Prize Poultry,' p. 297. This writer, I am informed,
cannot generally be trusted. He gives, however, figures and much
information on eggs. _See_ pp. 34 and 235 on the eggs of the Game fowl.

[397] _See_ 'Poultry Book,' by Mr. Tegetmeier, 1866, pp. 81 and 78.

[398] 'The Cottage Gardener,' Oct. 1855, p. 13. On the thinness of the eggs
of Game-fowls, _see_ Mowbray on Poultry, 7th edit., p. 13.

[399] My information, which is very far from perfect, on chickens in the
down, is derived chiefly from Mr. Dixon's 'Ornamental and Domestic
Poultry.' Mr. B. P. Brent has also communicated to me many facts by letter,
as has Mr. Tegetmeier. I will in each case mark my authority by the name
within brackets. For the chickens of white Silk-fowls, _see_ Tegetmeier's
'Poultry Book,' 1866, p. 221.

[400] As I hear from Mr. Tegetmeier; _see_ also 'Proc. Zoolog. Soc.' 1856,
p. 366. On the late development of the crest, _see_ 'Poultry Chronicle,'
vol. ii. p. 132.

[401] On these points, _see_ 'Poultry Chronicle,' vol. iii. p. 166; and
Tegetmeier's 'Poultry Book,' 1866, pp. 105 and 121.

[402] Dixon, 'Ornamental and Domestic Poultry,' p. 273.

[403] Ferguson on Rare and Prize Poultry, p. 261.

[404] Mowbray on Poultry, 7th edit. 1834, p. 13.

[405] _See_ the full description of the variet