230 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



presently described. The comb is single and straight, not 

 very large, and thick at the base ; ear-lobes bright red, and 

 rather smaller than in Cochins ; wattles more developed, 

 but fine. The eyes are generally bay, and large ; the beak 

 yellow, some horny streak being permissible. The legs 

 should be bright yellow, and rather short. The body is 

 compact and deep, with a full, well-rounded breast : this is 

 essential to good stock, and poor breast a great fault, how- 

 ever good other points. The saddle, or cushion, is full and 

 rather high, but not globular as in the Cochin, nor so fluffy, 

 and the fluff on the thighs is compact and moderate. 



The plumage is what is known as " cuckoo-colour," but 

 the standard of colour is not absolutely uniform. In 

 America it is described as (( greyish-white " barred with 

 *' bluish-black," both sexes are demanded alike on breast 

 and body, and the barring is decidedly narrower and finer, 

 and the effect more black and white than in England. 

 Both sexes cannot, or but rarely, be bred of this colour 

 from the same pen of standard birds : the cockerels will 

 do, but the pullets will not be right. The nearest mating 

 is with the standard cock to have a portion of the pullets of 

 the same ground-colour, but darker in the barring. In 

 England the recognised ground-colour is darker, more of 

 a slate-colour,* and with very deep barring, larger and 

 not so sharp in pattern. The hens seem to be recognised 

 as slightly coarser in pattern than the cock, and slightly 

 darker in colour generally ; if such hens be selected, 

 marked distinctly and evenly all over, such will be good 

 mating. Another mating which often produces good re- 

 sults for the English standard, is a cock a shade or two 

 darker than the usual standard, with hens or pullets a 



* That is, as it appears on the bird. A single feather of this cuckoo- 

 colour, on a sheet of paper, always appears much whiter. 



