THE GAME FOWL. 237 



the mice about the latter, of course, in great consterna- 

 tion. After a little while, two mice bolted, jumped off the 

 stack to escape their implacable enemy, but fell into as bad 

 hands ; for they were both seized by Hens, pecked to death, 

 and eaten up in no time. It was strange that a weasel should 

 act as a jackall to fowls. Yesterday, I threw a large field- 

 mouse to a Hen, and watched her peck it, and then eat it up." 

 W. D. F. 



" A red and white Game Cock of any breed, is called a 

 Pile; thus I have heard a Malay Cock that was white, with a 

 red back, called a Pile, but I am not quite sure that the ex- 

 pression is applied to birds that are not Game. So the Staf- 

 fordshire Pile must be red and white." J. S. W. 



The Furness Game Fowl. "When, or from what place, 

 this truly beautiful specimen of the Game tribe was introduced, 

 is quite a mystery, even with the fanciers and breeders of it. 

 The Cock is a bird of singular and handsome appearance. 

 The neck, body, and tail are of a beautiful shining black, very 

 rich and lustrous, with a saddle of light buff. The Hen is per- 

 fectly black, with occasionally a slight touch of gold in the 

 hackle. In some specimens, both Cock and Hen had a golden 

 hackle, but I should say that such had been crossed with some 

 other variety." F. S. B. u Besides this, there is the black- 

 breasted copper-winged Furness, which is entirely black all 

 over, except the wings, the feathers of which are copper-co- 

 loured. Then, very nearly allied to these in colour, is the 

 Pole-cat Game Fowl, differing from the Furness only in hav- 

 ing more of light or straw-coloured feathers upon him, his 

 wings being of that colour, in addition to the markings of the 

 Furness ; his breast and the rest of his body being generally 

 black, but sometimes his breast is shady or streaked. 



"The Piles are universally known as Cheshire Piles, Staf- 

 fordshire Piles, and streaky-breasted Red Piles. Cheshire 

 Piles have always a thoroughly red back, with all the rest of 



