CORTACHY TO PERTH. 255 



head. He is five years old, and therefore long past 

 his Dorking prime. Silver greys have no chance 

 against the heavy greys, as at his best he never 

 turned the beam at O^lbs. His plumage is perfect 

 the jet-black breast and flowing tail, the dark and 

 distinct blue bar in his wing, the silver hackle, and 

 the straight indented clear-cut comb. "Greedy" 

 and "Missy," are the companions of his fortunes ; and 

 their beautiful ash-coloured hue, with the white 

 feather shafts and the robin red-breast, have often 

 led them to victory. "Broom" conducts us most 

 courteously to the edge of his domain, and there 

 leaves us among the pencilled Bramahs. Mrs. Blair 

 has composed a new strain in Bramahs of a compo- 

 site colour between the lemon and grey, very suitable 

 for the farmyard and for maternal duties, which they 

 perform a merveille. 



The stable has two beautiful thorough-bred blacks 

 by British Yeoman, bred by Miss Bell of Woodhouse- 

 lees, an old fellow-labourer in the poultry cause, 

 and the glass-house in the stable yards seems 

 a nursery for valetudinarian and motherless chickens, 

 or rather the late and the delicate. The " Laurel 

 House" is quite a step beyond, and is, in fact, a fashion- 

 able seminary for pullets of all breeds before they are 

 introduced. The master of the "Wood House" is a 

 heavy grey Dorking, a first both at the Sydenham and 

 Birmingham shows, with four hens at his side. "Grow- 

 ley" has also made himself a name at home and at Sy- 

 denham ; but he takes his ease now in a hollow under a 



