358 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



with other Game fowls than any other breed. 

 The cocks are feathered Hke the hens, hence its 

 name, and the more hen-Hke their plumage, that 

 is, the more rounded and free from sheen are 

 the hackle, saddle, and tail feathers, the more 

 are they entitled to claim purity of race. They 

 are chiefly bred in Cornwall and Devonshire, 

 though some celebrated birds have come from 

 Wales. In colour there are dark partridge, 

 red grouse, wheatens, greys, duns, blacks, 

 whites, and spangles. The partridge and 

 grouse coloured have generally pinkish white 

 legs ; these and the blacks are perhaps the most 

 beautiful varieties. They are perhaps the most 

 useful of all the breeds of Game. To some the 

 lack of gaudy and shining plumage on the cock 

 will make them appear plain, but there is a 

 certain ' gamey ' appearance about a good hen- 

 cock that renders him very pleasing to the 

 eye of one who understands Game fowls, and 

 appreciates them. 



" There are very many other colours of 

 Game fowls, but until they are more generally 

 exhibited, a description of them is scarcely 

 necessary. There are also strains of birds 

 having peculiar marks, such as the ' Muffs,' 

 having a bunch of feathers growing beneath the 

 throat, and the 'Tassels,' having a tuft of 

 feathers behind the comb, which may be either 

 a few straight feathers in the cock and a small 

 tuft in the hen, or something very much larger, 

 as sometimes seen, and amounting to a large 

 topknot. These peculiarities are pleasing to 

 some people, and where they are followed by 

 good qualities, it is well to preserve them with 

 every care. 



" The Old English Game Fowl Club's 

 Standard of points and colours seems to render 

 further description unnecessary ; but it may be 

 well to give the proper way to describe the 

 colour of a Game fowl. Experts always started 

 with the breast, as in cock-fighting times this 

 part was untrimmed and left intact ; thus a 

 black cock was described as a Raven-breasted 

 Black, black eyes, beak, and legs ; and a white 

 cock. Smock-breasted Smock, white legs, beak, 

 and eyes. 'HowAdzys, a. Black-bn-astcd Light Red 

 is often spoken of as a Black Red, a term at once 

 misleading and ridiculous, and might mean 

 anything, the black-breasted black red with 

 crow-wings being the only colour to which the 

 appellation black red applies ; light red would be 

 more intelligible. Usually the colour of some 

 wild bird was used in describing the breast 

 colour, as Raven-breasted, Throstle-breasted, 

 Robin-breasted, or Pheasant-breasted, etc. 



" In rearing Old English Game chickens, it 

 is well to keep them as dry under foot as possible 



at first. After a week or two they never grow 

 better than if allowed to wander with their 

 mother on a good range, and they will roost in 

 the trees the winter through ; but as it is not 

 always convenient to allow them to do this, it is at 

 least desirable to separate the cock chickens from 

 their sisters at about three months old, when if 

 put out of sight and hearing of any hen or pullet 

 and under the charge of an old cock, they will 

 usually run together peaceably, until they are 

 ready to be separated to go on to walks. At 

 five months old it is necessary to dub them. 

 Snip off the comb and each wattle, taking care 

 not to cut across the throat, and then take off 

 the ear-lobes. The operation will not take half 

 a minute, and the birds will eat directly after, 

 showing how little pain is caused by this slight 

 cutting, which saves the bird many a painful 

 time, and often his life, when he meets a strange 

 bird on his walk or gets out of his yard. The 

 dubbing of this bird requires merely the removal 

 of the comb, wattles, and ear-lobes for the bird's 

 good ; no severe cutting, trimming, or skinning is 

 resorted to for appearance' sake, as in some 

 modern breeds trimmed merely for appearance, 

 and to win prizes by unprincipled ' fakers.' 



" Plenty of pure water is absolutely necessary 

 for Game fowls, and the evening meal should 

 always consist of good, sound English grain : 

 wheat, barley, and occasionally oats, and a few 

 peas ; maize is not at all a suitable food for 

 Game fowls, being too fattening, and often 

 producing ' scaly leg ' and stopping the produc- 

 tion of eggs. 



" This breed requires but little preparation for 

 exhibition, as they never look better than when 

 straight from a good range. They do, however, 

 require to be tame, and should be placed in an 

 exhibition pen a few times, and given some 

 choice morsels to render them used to being 

 handled, etc., as no judge can see the points of 

 a bird if wild and crouching in his pen, or flying 

 wildly against the top of it. If in good con- 

 dition, just washing the feet, legs, and head 

 will be sufficient, or should any feathers stick 

 up each side of the cock's comb, they may 

 be removed. 



" In judging Old English, the first thing to 

 be looked for is purity of race, gameness of 

 aspect, cleanness and soundness of 

 Judging ^^Ss ^nd feet, not to be thick toed, 



Old English or with round fleshy shanks as are 

 Game. often seen, and his large fierce eye, 



whether it be dark, red, or grey. 

 Then look to his shape, and then to his feather, 

 if it is sound and glossy, elastic, and full of 

 bloom, not soft, thick, or fluffy, as is often 

 seen in inferior birds Then take him out 



