34° 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



been able to consult, is that these birds were 

 probably specimens of the magnificent Sumatra 

 Pheasant Game fowl, and that this breed has, 

 therefore, been a third component of, and given 

 the final " polish " to, the Indian Game. Its 

 own close relationship to the Aseel has been 

 hinted at in discussing that bird; and upon the 

 whole the successive mixture of strains here 

 indicated appears the most probable pedigree 

 of the present Indian Game. 



The general appearance of the fowl is 

 very much what might be expected from 

 such an origin, but yet with a character of 

 its own. The cock's head is rather broad and 

 beetle-browed, but not nearly so 

 Characteriatics much SO as that of the Malay ; 

 of and longer than the Malay, but not 



Indian Game, nearly so much so as the English 

 Game. It is surmounted by a triple 

 or pea-comb, which is apt to be rather large, 

 and is very often dubbed. Wattles and ear- 

 lobes are small and brilliant red, beak either 

 yellow or horn-colour, or a mixture ; eyes full 

 and bold, and varying in colour from pale 

 yellow to red, the latter colour evidently coming 

 from the Derby Red cross, and being strong 

 evidence of it. The neck is of medium length, 

 and rather arched, with short hackles, but 

 enough to just cover the base of the neck. The 

 body should be very thick and compact, large 

 and broad round the shoulders and tapering 

 towards the tail, with a wide and deep but 

 well-rounded breast, and tolerably flat back, 

 with the shoulders standing out well and 

 prominently, but not so as to cause a hollow 

 back; neither must the bird be flat-sided. The 

 wings are rather short, and earned close, with 

 well-rounded points closely tucked in. The 

 thighs and shanks are stout and only medium 

 length, not nearly so long as in the Malay, the 

 shanks being rich yellow or orange, the feet 

 well spread and flat, with the back toe well 

 down and almost flat on the ground. The tail 

 is medium length, with narrow sickles and 

 coverts, very hard, carried drooping. The whole 

 carriage is very upright, with high shoulders 

 and lower stern, the back sloping ; altogether 

 with much of the Malay character, but much 

 tempered down and differently proportioned. 

 The plumage is throughout short, hard, close, and 

 extremely lustrous. The breast, under-parts, and 

 tail are rich, glossy, green-black. The head 

 is the same green-black, but the hackle lower 

 down is mingled or streaked with rich bay or 

 chestnut, as are the saddle hackles, the shafts 

 of the feathers being deep crimson-brown. The 

 wing-bows are a somewhat similar mingling of 

 deep bay or chestnut with green-black ; the 



wing-bar green-black of the most lustrous kind ; 

 the secondaries deep bay on the outer web, and 

 black on the inner webs and ends of feathers, 

 forming a chestnut triangular wing-bay. 



The general characteristics of the hen are 

 similar, allowing for sex, but her colour is 

 different, and almost unique among the black- 

 breasted Reds. Her head and upper hackles 

 commence also as rich green, but lower down 

 the centre of the feather becomes chestnut, with 

 only a green border. The body generally is of 

 a very rich bay or chestnut ground-colour, each 

 feather laced or edged with beetle-green, with 

 such iridescence as causes the lacing to look 

 as if embossed or raised above the surface of the 

 feather. At the throat and upper part of the 

 breast this lacing is very often single, but lower 

 down, as the feathers get larger, and on the 

 back, and on the wing-bows, there should be 

 a second or inner lacing. Fig. i lo is photo- 

 graphed from some feathers of a beautiful hen, 

 sent for the purpose by the writer of the notes 

 below, and show the type of this double- 

 lacing admirably. The feathers on the wing- 

 bows are generally amongst the best for 

 marking, and the coverts or bars should 

 especially be well and boldly laced. Some- 

 times a tJiird black centre-mark may be found 

 in the larger feathers, inside the second lacing, 

 but this is not usual in England. In America, 

 however, where the Indian Game has become 

 very popular since 1890, many breeders try to 

 cultivate a still further or " triple " lacing, and 

 the American Standard, till a few years ago, 

 actually stipulated for "two or more " lacings on 

 each feather. This is the principal difference 

 between American and English ideas concerning 

 these fowls, for in England even double-lacing 

 is by no means apparent upon all feathers, 

 though acknowledged and held desirable. To 

 lay stress upon yet further lacing, must not only 

 inevitably lead to the mating-up of special 

 pullet-breeding pens, but would probably des- 

 troy that grand and " embossed " character of 

 the marking which is so great a beauty ; and on 

 both these grounds it is a matter for congratula- 

 tion that the last edition of the American 

 Standard has omitted the words "or more," 

 leaving only double-lacing as its description of 

 the hen's plumage. 



This fowl has been very largely bred of late 



for the production of table poultry, having in 



unusual degree the property of im- 



Qualities parting good breasts and wings to 



of crossesof whichit forms acomponent, 



Indian Game, and weight and juiciness of flesh 



when crossed with fowls whose flesh 



may be in comparison "short" and dry. Such 



