Mikhail Bulgakov. The Fateful Eggs -
35 >
Hm, although some have only one in the middle under the beak. Now, what
else. Their wings are short and rounded. The tail is of medium length,
somewhat stepped and even, I would say, roof-shaped. The middle feathers are
bent in the form of a sickle... Pankrat... bring me model No. 705 from the
model room, the cross-section of the domestic cock. You don't need it? Don't
bring the model, Pankrat. I repeat, I am not a specialist. Go to Portugalov.
Now let me see, I personally know of six types of wild fowl... Hm,
Portugalov knows more... In India and on the Malaysian archipelago. For
example, the Bankiva fowl, or Callus bankiva. It is found in the foothills
of the Himalayas, throughout India, in Assam and Burma... The Java fowl, or
Gallus varius on Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores. And on the island of Java there
is the splendid Gallus eneus fowl. In south-east India I can recommend the
very beautiful Sonneratii. I'll show you a drawing of it later. As for
Ceylon, here we have the Stanley fowl, which is not found anywhere else."
Bronsky sat there, eyes popping, and scribbled madly.
"Anything else I can tell you?"
"I'd like to hear something about fowl diseases," Alfred whispered
quietly.
"Hm, it's not my subject. You should ask Portugalov. But anyway...
Well, there are tape-worms, leeches, the itchmite, bird-mite, chicken louse,
Eomenacanthus stramineus, fleas, chicken cholera, inflammation of the mucous
membrane, Pneumonomicosis, tuberculosis, chicken mange... all sorts of
things (Persikov's eyes flashed.) ... poisoning, tumours, rickets, jaundice,
rheumatism, Ahorion Schonlein's fungus - that's a most interesting disease.
Small spots like mould appear on the crown..."
Bronsky wiped the sweat off his brow with a coloured handkerchief.
"And what in your opinion, Professor, is the cause of the present