DORKINGS. 195 



hackle, and saddle feathers, pure silvery white, in which a 

 little black streak is now allowed ; and the wing also white, 

 showing up well a sharply-marked and brilliant bar of black 

 across the middle. A single white feather in the tail would 

 be fatal. Hen's breast salmon-red, shading into grey at the 

 thighs ; head and neck silvery white striped with black ; 

 back " silver grey," or fine dark grey pencilling upon light 

 grey ground, the white of the quill showing as a slight 

 streak down the centre of each feather ; wings also grey, 

 with no shade of red ; tail dark grey, passing into black in 

 the inside. The general appearance of both birds should be 

 extremely clean and aristocratic. 



The White birds should be what their name implies a 

 clear, pure, and perfect white. There is generally in the 

 cock more or less tendency to straw or cream colour on the 

 back and wings, and we would by no means disqualify a 

 really first-class bird in all other points on account of it ; 

 but it is decidedly a fault. White Dorkings are usually 

 smaller than the Coloured, but of late years this variety 

 has been much improved both in size, fecundity, and 

 hardihood. It deserves remark, also, that when shown in 

 a class with other colours, White Dorkings always appear 

 smaller than they really are, and have repeatedly proved 

 heavier than Silver-greys, which the judge has preferred 

 solely on account of their apparent extra size. 



Cuckoo-coloured Dorkings are sometimes shown, and 

 have even had classes now and then, but are almost always 

 small. They have, however, the general reputation of 

 being the hardiest of all the Dorking varieties. 



Dorkings degenerate from in-breeding more than most 

 fowls, and therefore require more change in blood. If over- 

 fed, they also suffer more than many from exhibition ; but 

 this fault and its effects are far less common now than 

 formerly. 



