194 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



the fifth toe, and was probably the result of some Dorking 

 cross in India on some Asiatic bird unknown. He was very 

 large, and the progeny was on an average at least two 

 pounds heavier than the old English stock, and much more 

 uniform in plumage, the hens being very dark, verging in 

 parts upon a brownish-black, with robin breasts, and the 

 cocks more black-breasted. Few had not the fifth toe, and 

 all soon came true in that respect ; and this cross has now 

 influenced all the exhibition stock, greatly increasing the 

 size and hardiness of the fowls, without losing any important 

 point, except, perhaps, in one exception : that is, that with 

 the habitual dark colour has crept in a dark or sooty foot, 

 and even leg. There is no evidence that this is due to the 

 cross, for the cross with even Cochins does not tend to dark 

 legs, though it often does to yellow ones ; and the first 

 results, when the cross was strongest, were not dark-legged ; 

 it is simply that very dark colour tends to produce dark legs 

 in all fowls, and this is by no means inconsistent with white 

 skin and meat. But dark legs do look out of place, to say 

 the least, in a Dorking ; and of late there has been a dis- 

 position in many quarters to lay more stress on the colour of 

 the legs and feet, even at the expense of some size, and to 

 return to more variety in plumage. That the Coloured 

 Dorking ought to be judged as a table-fowl chiefly is 

 undoubted, and acknowledged by all ; but some judges lay 

 more stress upon the colour of the legs, as against the 

 greater size and dark plumage preferred by others. 



In the Silver-grey Dorking, however, colour is im- 

 perative. This variety was a chance offshoot from the 

 preceding, improved by careful breeding, and a cross with 

 Lord Hill's breed of Silver Duckwing Game, the colour of 

 which was aimed at. The Silver-grey colour is as 

 follows : cock's breast a pure and perfect black ; tail and 

 larger coverts also black, with metallic reflections ; head, 



