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TECHNICAL TERMS. 



239 



Mossy. — Confused or indistinct in marking. 

 Pea-comb. — A triple comb, resembling three small 



combs in one, the middle being the highest. 

 Pencilling. — Small markings or stripes over a 

 feather, either straight across, as in Hamburghs, 

 or in crescentic form, as in Partridge Cochins. 

 Poult. — A young turkey. 



Primaries. — The flight-feathers of the wings, hidden 

 when the wing is closed, being tucked under the 

 visible wing composed of the " secondary " 

 feathers. Usually the primaries contain the 

 deepest colour all over the body, except the tail, 

 and great importance is attached to their colour 

 by breeders. (No. 17.) 

 Pullet. — A young hen. Some think the term is not 

 properly applicable after December 31 of the 

 year in which a bird is hatched ; others that it is 

 so up to one year old. 

 Reachy. — A term applied to Modern Game fowls (in 

 which " reachiness " is an important point in a 

 show bird) to denote that they stand erect. 

 Roach-hack. — A convex-shape of back, and a great 

 fault in all fowls, with the exception of Malays. 

 Rooster. — An American term for a cock. 

 Rose-comb. — A broad solid comb, the top of which is 

 nearly level and covered with small points. It 

 becomes broader as it recedes from the front, 

 ending with a spike or " leader " at the back. 

 Saddlc.—The. posterior part of the back, reaching to 

 the tail, in a cock, answering to the cushion in a 

 hen. (No. 8.) 

 Soppiness. — A bird is said to be " sappy " when the 

 " sap " in the feather is perceptible on the sur- 

 face of the plumage. It shows in a white fowl 

 in the form of a yellow or light primrose tint. 

 Secondaries. — The quill-feathers of the wing which 



are visible when the bird is at rest. (No. 15.) 

 Self-colour. — A uniform tint over feather or bird. 

 Shaft. — The stem or quill of a feather. 

 5Aa;;/{'.— The scaly part of the leg. (No. 20.) 

 5/i£.(.M. —Another term for "lustre." The word is 

 used to denote that a black Orpington, Langshan, 

 Hamburgh and the like, of beetle-green plum- 

 age, is oi a rich and transparent colour. 

 Sickles —The top curved feathers of a cock's tail. 

 Properly only applied to the top pair, but some- 

 times used for one or two pairs below which can 

 hardly be called tail-coverts. (No. 10.) 

 Spangling.— The marking produced by each feather 

 having one large spot or splash of some colour 

 different from the ground-colour. When applied 

 to a laced breed, as in Polish, explained by the 

 much broader lacing at the tip of each feather. 

 Sf>nr. — The sharp weapon near the heel. (No. 21.) 

 Squirrel-tailed.— The tail projecting in front of a 



perpendicular line, over the back. 

 Stag.— Another term for a young cock, chiefly used 



by Game breeders. 

 Station. — Another term for symmetry, but rather 



markedlv in connection with height or reach. 

 Strain.— .\ race of fowls which, having been carefully 

 bred bv one breeder or his successors for years, 

 has acquired an individual character of its own 

 which can be more or less relied upon. 

 Symmetry. — Perfection of proportion. 

 Tail-coverts.— The soft, glossy, curved feathers at 

 the sides of the bottom of the tail. Usually the 

 same colour as the sickles. (No. 11.) 

 Tail-feathers. — The straight and stiff feathers of the 

 tail only. The top pair are sometimes slightly 

 curved, but they are always nearly if not quite 



straight, and are contained inside the sickles and 

 tail-coverts. (No. 12.) 



Thighs.— The joint above the shanks; the first joint 

 clothed all over with feathers. The same as the 

 drumstick in dressed fowls. (No. 18.) 



Thnmb-marhed. — A term used an connection with 

 single-combed male fowls, such as Minorcas and 

 Leghorns, to describe a comb that is indented or 

 hollow on one side and protrudes on the other, 

 as if a thumb had made the depression. 



Top-knot. — Same as Crest. 



Trl-coloiircd. — ts. term often applied to cockerels 

 which should be of one uniform colour, when 

 their hackles and saddles and tails are niuch 

 darker, and the wing-bow darker still. Chiefly 

 in buff varieties. 



Trio. — A cock or cockerel, and two hens or pullets. 



Under-colour.— Th^l portion of the feathers under 

 the surface, only seen when the plumage is 

 opened or separated. That of the fluff of the 

 feather. It often differs greatly from the sur- 

 face-colour, and is of great importance in breed- 

 ing. 



Variety. — Some definite division of a breed known by 

 its colour or marking. Thus the breed includes 

 all the varieties. 



Vulture-hock.— StiS projecting quill-feathers at the 

 hock-joint. The feathers must be both stiff and 

 projecting to be thus truly called and con- 

 demned. (Fig. 85, leg of Brahma pullet.) 



Waitles.—The red depending structures at each side 

 of base of beak. Largest in male. (No. 3.) 



Web.— This term is indefinite, expressing a flat and 

 thin structure. The web of a feather is the flat 

 or plume portion ; the web of the foot, the flat 

 skin betw^een the toes ; of the wing, the triangular 

 skin seen when the member is extended. 



Wing-bar. — .A.ny line of dark colour across the middle 

 of the wing, caused by colour or marking of 

 feathers known as lower wing-coverts. (No. 14.) 



Wing-bay.— The triangular part of the folded wing 

 between the wing-bar and the point. (No. 15.) 



IFm^-Jo7£'.— Upper or shoulder part of wing. (N0.13.) 



Wing-butts.— The corners or ends of the wing. The 

 upper ends are more properly called the 

 shoulder-butts, and are thus termed by Game 

 fanciers. The lower, similarly, are often called 

 the lower-butts. (No. 16.) 



Wing-coverts. — The broad feathers covering the roots 

 of the secondary quills. (Xo. M-) 



