BLACK-BREASTED RED GAME. 



7,^2, 



extensively by breeders in order to attain 

 greater length of limb, with shorter and harder 

 and more scanty feather. With this cross came 

 at first, of course, very bad heads ; but these 

 were very soon bred out, as were other promi- 

 nent Malay points : there has remained, how- 

 ever, a more sloping back as a rule, and more 

 prominent shoulder-butts than belonged to 

 the old English fowl : also a length of limb that 

 compares with, if it does not even exceed, that 

 of the Malay itself. 



Change has not been confined to form 

 alone : it has affected colour also profoundly. 

 At first the birds had been exhibited in their 

 natural colours, in natural sex-relation. In 

 Black-breasted Reds, for instance, the darker 

 red cocks and the rich partridge hens appeared, 

 as they were bred from single-mating in the old 

 Derby and other strains ; but the brighter 

 colours were preferred, and very soon the 

 bright red cocks and light partridge hens were 

 found to breed brighter and better from double- 

 matings. So also the Brown-breasted Reds 

 began as really brown-breasted birds ; but 

 preference for bright colour and precise lacing 

 gradually produced a new colour containing 

 only black and lemon, with no brown in the 

 breast at all. It is, however, unnecessary to 

 discuss this phase of the matter further. As 

 has already been shown, the change has in the 

 end been so great as to create a reaction 

 in favour of the older breed, which has again 

 returned to popularity, now as an entirely dis- 

 tinct and different type. But it is remarkable 

 that while the general public unmistakably 

 recognise greater beauty in the old Game fowl, 

 the points of the modern show bird also possess 

 a peculiar fascination for those who can under- 

 stand them, and call forth in them an enthu- 

 siasm which is scarcely paralleled in any other 

 breed. Birds have frequently changed hands 

 for as much as ;^ioo, which can probably 

 not be said of any variety beside ; and the com- 

 petition at Birmingham Show, which in Game 

 fowls is the recognised great event of the year, 

 evokes a kind and degree of interest amongst 

 the circle of breeders, which in its way is unique. 



The development of the exhibition type of 

 Game fowl has to all intents and purposes 

 excluded from this department of competition 

 many colours and markings formerly shown, 

 and which are still to be found in classes for the 

 Old English breed already treated of; and the 

 present recognised varieties are now compara- 

 tively few and well defined. The chief are those 

 known as Black-breasted Reds, Brown Reds, 

 Duckwings, and Piles ; of any others occasion- 

 ally shown, very brief mention will suffice. 



The Black-breasted Red has always been 

 the acknowledged head and type of all Game 

 fowls. One reason for its prevalence, is no 

 doubt that the colour most 

 Black-breasted closely resembles that of the 

 Red Game. wild jungle-fowl [Galliis bankiva) 



believed by most naturalists to 

 have been the original of either all or most 

 of the domestic breeds of poultry ; hence 

 when birds were bred with less reference to 

 shades of colour than now, it tended to pre- 

 vail. Originally, as briefly hinted above, the 

 natural sex-colours were exhibited ; cocks 

 being shown with darker hackles than now, 

 and hens of a rich partridge with shades of 

 red on the wings. But both judges and 

 breeders soon began to show marked prefer- 

 ence for the clearer and brighter shades 

 in both sexes, until practically only bright 

 and light-coloured specimens are shown with 

 success in first-class competition, though occa- 

 sionally a somewhat darker bird may win by 

 reason of very superior shape and condition 

 of feather. 



The following description of the Black- 

 breasted Red Game as now demanded for 

 the show-pen, is kindly contributed by Mr. 

 F. C. Tomkins, of Brimfield Court, Hereford- 

 shire, well known as a breeder, exhibitor, and 

 judge ; and in regard to the first portion of 

 it, may serve also for other varieties, as a 

 description of the exhibition type of bird in 

 general : — 



" In describing as requested the Black- 

 breasted Red Game fowl, the following is 

 my own ideal, and will be generally ac- 

 cepted by the fancy at large. The descrip- 

 tion may with advantage be divided under 

 two separate heads, viz. style, or shape and 

 make, and colour. 



" We will take the style of the cock first. 

 The beak should be long, strong, and slightly 

 curved ; the head long and rather narrow ; 

 the eye bright red, prominent, bold, and fear- 

 less : in fact the head should bear a sort of 

 snaky expression. The neck to be long, 

 shoulders broad, back short and quite flat , 

 wings carried well up and close to the body. 

 The tail to be short, carried rather low, with 

 short fine-pointed sickles. The legs should 

 be long, but by no means to have a stilty 

 appearance ; the thighs to be slightly curved, 

 and the shanks nicely rounded and fine at 

 the hock-joint ; the legs to be set well apart, 

 the feet flat, and the toes long ; the hind toe 

 to point straight backwards, and be as close 

 to the ground as possible : this last is a most 

 important point. A Game cock should be 



