The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-29
Some Interesting Facts
About Chickens.
Believed TO Be Descended
FrOmthe India JungleFowl.
The First Boat Constructed OF Iron.
The Signs of the Zodiac.

There is little doubt that here in Rhode
Island. where the poultry raising indus.
try is SO extensive, that Il great ueal ol
interest will be taken in "a bulletin shortly
to be issued by the Agrlcultursu Depart-
,nent. This bulletin will have for It's SUD-
iect "Chickens. " and IL promises 10 bc "a
Volume OF considerable value, not Only 10
poalltrv raiscrs but also for the HISTORICAL
matter it will contain. AS natter Oh
fact chickens have very renlarkhblc MS
tory, and better than any other ahliilas ;
they illustrate what man can do IN con-
trolling evolution. This is conciusively
shown by the fact that hen : egg of today
il purely artificial product, being twice
as large and being laid three times as
often as nature originally directed. from
pre historic times the chicken has been
domesticated in India and especially IN
China, where incubators were In use long
before the country was visited by Euro
roans. Owing partly to the extreme an
tiquty of the domesticatlon OF these
birds, much interest has been taken In the
investigation Of their origin in Wild
state There now appears To bc no doubt
that the original chicken was so-callcd
Jungle fowl of India, which has survived
10 this day, and still exists in plentiful
numbers in the less densely inhabited
parts of the country.
This wild fowl bears such rcsem-
blance to the modern black breasted red
game cock, that IL might easily bo mis-
taken for the latter. In the country
where it Is found il breeds freely with
domestic chickens, producing fertile off-
spring, the essential point which deter-
mines the fact of identity of species. IL
has a crow very much like that of the
domestic rooster. At first glance IL
would seem extraordinary that all of the
varieties known today should bc sup
posed 60 have sprung from this common
ancestor, to which some,of them bear no
apparent likeness, but there Is no doubt
practically that such is the case. The
differentiation in this case is no more ex-
traordinary than witA pigeons, all varie-
ties Of which are derived from the homcly
blue rock 1t Is an interesting fact that
most modern varieties of chickens were
originated 10y accident. Thus il has
happened that n chance crossing has pro-
duccd unusually handsome fowls, and
this has suggested co the breeder the de-
STABILITY OF perpctuating the types. Some
varieties have very interesting histories,
the light Brahmas for instance. These
are the fowls that caused the then fever
that ragged in the '5O's, about which a
great deal has been written recently.
Their carly history, even as given 10y the
best authorities Is not very definite, there
being disagreement as To their origin.
They were imported from China and were
known ms the Braham Pootras, Grey
Shanghais, Chittagongs Cochin Chinas,
and what not. The early breeder named
them according to his fancy, often en-
ploying high sounding names In order to
dispose of his stock. Fabulous prices
were paid for them mt one time, and they
arc the largest chickens known.