366 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



breeding strain, 

 other varieties. 



Tliis will apply to all the 



The next principal colour in modern Game 

 shows perhaps the most remarkable transforma- 

 tion of any, in consequence of selective breeding 

 and judging. The division was once known as 

 Brown-breasted Red Game, and the 

 Brown-Red name was perfectly accurate, the 

 Game. breasts of the cocks being either 



brown, or brown mingled with 

 black, or at least brown or bay streaks upon 

 the black, somewhat like the breast of a starling ; 

 while the top colour contained much red, ranging 

 from orange-red to crimson. The catalogue 

 of the Birmingham show now describes the 

 present colour as simply brown-red, omitting 

 all definite allusion to the breast, probably as 

 being absurd ; but in point of fact the colour can 

 now scarcely be said to be marked by either 

 brown or red anywhere, and, indeed, any con- 

 spicuous signs of either would be fatal to success. 

 The process of change can be pretty easily 

 traced. Up to the time when Mr. Douglas 

 wrote in 1872, the most popular colour in cocks 

 was streaky or starling-breasted, with a bay 

 streak to each feather, and red and crimson top- 

 colour ; but there was also already recognised as 

 a favourite colour, a black breast with narrow 

 lacings of bay, and top-colour of a lighter orange- 

 red and crimson, running off in places to rich 

 orange-lemon, and hens black all over except 

 striped golden hackles. This marking steadily 

 elbowed out the other ; and then as brighter 

 colour was preferred, the bay lacing was re- 

 placed by rich orange, and this by rich lemon, 

 and finally by bright light lemon, which extended 

 to the hen's breast also. Glossy green-black 

 was also demanded, until finally we have a 

 variety in which practically the only colours 

 deemed admissible are rich green-black and 

 lemon, though from old association and origin 

 still termed brown-red. 



The following notes upon this beautiful 

 variety, and its breeding for exhibition, were 

 kindly contributed by Mr. Frederick Wardle 

 Smith, Kingston House, Carlton, near Work- 

 sop ; — 



" To form a strain of Brown-breasted Red 

 Game, and to breed them with any hope of 

 success, takes several years of careful observa- 

 tion, selection, and management. Let no beginner 

 think he can purchase a few winning birds, how- 

 ever good they may be, and find himself in the 

 first flight the following show season. Brown- 

 Reds will not breed true to colour from what is 

 generally known as a single mating. For instance, 

 a perfect lemon exhibition cock mated with a 



bright-hackled exhibition hen, will often throw 

 a large proportion of grey chickens, which are, 

 of course, worthless. But before dealing with 

 the breeding of Brown-Reds, I will describe 

 the correct type and colour of exhibition birds. 



" In both sexes the head should be long and 

 lean, the beak strong and slightly curved, the 

 eye large, and free from the heavy overhanging 

 brow. The neck should be long and thin, and 

 well cleaned out at the throat ; the back short 

 and flat, broadest across the shoulders, and 

 tapering towards the tail. The shoulders should 

 be broad, prominent, carried well up, and slightly 

 away from the body ; the wings short, the 

 flights carried under the saddle feathers, and well 

 nipped into the body behind the thighs. The 

 breast should be broad and firm, and the breast- 

 bone short, and curved like the keel of a boat 

 There should be no lumber or heaviness in the 

 under part of body behind the thighs. There 

 the bird should be fine, and well cut off to the 

 root of the tail. The thighs should be long and 

 muscular, set well apart, and the shanks round 

 in front, smooth, and rather shorter than the 

 thighs ; the hocks neat and clean-jointed ; the 

 feet large and fine, toes well spread, and the 

 back toes set on low down and carried straight 

 back. The tail should be small, short, fine, and 

 straight, carried tight, and slightly above the 

 horizontal line. In cocks the sickles should be 

 slightly curved, narrow, and pointed, and a little 

 longer than the hen's tail. The secondaries and 

 tail coverts should also be fine and pointed. 

 The thighs should be set in the middle of the 

 body, so as to give the bird a firm, well-balanced 

 appearance. Nothing is more objectionable 

 than thighs set too far forward ; this always 

 makes the bird look stilty and ungainly. The 

 whole appearance of the bird should be tall, 

 bold, springy, and hard. The feather should be 

 short and hard, and in the hackle and saddle 

 of the cock, fine, wiry, and pointed. 



" In both sexes the colour of the eyes should 

 be black ; the face and comb dark purple-black, 

 or as black as possible ; the beak and nails the 

 darkest horn colour or black (old birds, as a rule, 

 go light in the colour of the leg). The comb 

 of the hen should be small, fine, and evenly 

 serrated. 



" The colour of the exhibition Brown-red 

 cock should be as follows : Head, hackle, back, 

 saddle, and wing-bow pure bright lemon ; the 

 hackle striped towards the bottom of the neck 

 with black, the back and saddle feathers being 

 black at the base, and sharply defined (Fig. 

 116). The rest of the body and tail black, 

 except the breast, which should have each 

 feather laced at the edge with short, round (not 



