158 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF POULTRY. 



black ; breast salmon, shading off to grey on thighs ; rest of 

 plumage generally, a silvery grey, evenly pencilled over 

 with darker grey, total effect being a beautiful silvery or 

 frosted kind of grey. The legs of both sexes are willow ; eyes 

 bright red. 



This breed at present at least is occasionally bred with 

 the Black-red, putting one of the brightest- coloured Black-red 

 cocks to Duck wing hens. Occasionally also a Duckwing cock 

 is put to a Wheaten hen. The Black-red cross used to bo 

 employed very frequently, and the result was more crimson 

 or claret-colour in the backs of the cocks than is tolerated 

 now. At present the best breeders consider once in half-a- 

 dozen years quite enough for a Black-red cross, which is chiefly 

 used for hardness of feather ; and the probability is that ulti- 

 mately it will be entirely abandoned, and the birds bred true. 



There has, in fact, always been a true breed, called " Silver " 

 Duckwings, which were never crossed. In this pretty variety 

 the cock's hackles and light parts are clear white, free from 

 straw, and the breast a purer or brighter black ; the hen re- 

 sembles the usual Duckwing, except for rather a purer or more 

 silvery colour. There is no doubt the ordinary Duckwings 

 arose from crossing this breed with the Black-reds ; and as the 

 Duckwings are bred more and more without Black-red aid, 

 the tendency will be, as it has been, to return to the pristine 

 purity of colour, or rather freedom from colour, and predomi- 

 nance of pure black, white, and grey shades. 



Pile game may briefly be described as in general Black-reds, 

 with white substituted for black, but the red colours as before. 

 It is well known that black and white are convertible colours, 

 so that many black Cochins were originally bred from whites, 

 and white Minorcas have been bred from blacks. Hence the 

 Pile cock has the same colour on his wing, but a white bar ; 

 and hackles that would be slightly marked with black are 

 marked with white instead, though this is disliked just as 



