SELECTION OF STOCK AND PAIRING. 187 



same color as the hennes are, with as many clawes. But, in 

 his body, to be hier raised, his combe to be hye, and red as 

 blood, and straight withall, his eyes blacke, or azure coloure, 

 his beke short and crooked, with a gray crest, shining like red 

 or white, and all his feathers, from the head to the breast, to 

 be of a changeable coloure, varying like gold or yellow ; his 

 breast large and bigge ; his muscles on his wings bigge, like 

 one's armes, with long wings ; his tail fayre and long, with 

 two ranks of crooked and rising feathers ; and to be oft crow- 

 ing, is a sign of lusty courage. The red color is thought to be 

 the best cocke, his legges short and stronge, his thyes greate 

 and thicke, and well covered with feathers, and armed with / 

 long spurs, rough and poynted, strayhte of body, light, ' 

 fyerce, eager in battayle, vigilante, readye, and often crowing, 

 and not easily fearde." (Mascall, c. 3.) 



Markham does not differ much from the preceding. He 

 says "The cock should be of a large and well-sized body , \ 

 long from the head to the rumpe, and thicke in the girthe ; his 

 necke should be long, loose, and curiously bending, and his 

 body together being straight and high uprected, as the falcon, 

 and other birds of prey" are ; his combe, wattles, and throat, 

 should be large, of great compasse, jagged, and very scarlet 

 red ; his eyes round and great, the colour answering the colour 

 of his plume or male, as gray with gray, red with red, or 

 yellow with yellow ; his bill should be crooked, sharpe, and 

 strongly set on to his head, the colour being suitable to the 

 colour of the feathers on his head ; his mayne, or necke- 

 feathers, should be very long, bright, and shining, covering 

 from his head to his shoulders , his legs straight, and of a 

 strong beame, with large long spurres, sharp, and a little 

 bending, and the colour blacke, yellow, or blewish ; his claws 

 short, strong, and wrinkled ; and his tail long, and covering 

 his body very closely ." (Cheap and Good Husbandrie, p. 138.) 



