BRAHMAS. I// 



web ; the coverts form a glossy green-black bar across the 

 wing. Clearness of the white, and sharpness and density of 

 black, are the chief points ; and straw-colour, or any stain of 

 brown or red, are great blemishes. 



The pullets or hens also have silvery hackles, thickly 

 striped in the middle with black. The rest of the plumage 

 is a ground of very pale grey to lightish iron-grey, marked 

 or pencilled over with what may range from darker grey 

 to glossy black. It is particularly necessary in a show bird 

 that the breast should be pencilled over as closely and 

 almost as darkly as the back, and this is now general, 

 though when this work was first written it was the rare 

 exception. The leg-feather should be pencilled like the 

 body, and also the fluff. 



There have been considerable historical changes of 

 fashion in the colour and marking of Dark Brahmas. Years 

 ago Mr. Lacy bred for a brown ground ; but it is now 

 generally admitted that the proper colour for all Brahmas is 

 pure white, black, or grey, and the hens are now sought of 

 a nice medium colour, the pencilling as dark as it is possible 

 to get it, and moderately fine, on a grey or almost dirty- 

 white ground. 



For breeding cockerels perfectly black-breasted ones are 

 essential. The whole under parts must be dense in colour, 

 and the hackles pure in colour, straw-colour being both a 

 great fault and strongly hereditary. The pullets or hens 

 must have sharply-striped rather than very dark hackles, but 

 the darker they are in reason the better, and neat heads 

 and combs are particularly essential. For pullet-breeding 

 the hens or pullets must have every breast feather (and the 

 rest too) thoroughly well pencilled, " filled up " over the 

 feather, and free from any streakiness. But the cock must 

 be particularly selected as known to be bred from such a hen 

 as this. Such cocks may either have a small white spot on 

 M 



