B UFF " ORPINGTONS" 241 



a fowl so-called by Mr. Cook ; but as this was bred quite 

 differently it was stated to be compounded of Hamburgh, 

 Dorking, and Buff Cochin there is not a single element 

 really in common, and there are serious objections to such 

 methods of nomenclature. There are, moreover, strong 

 grounds for the belief that the real origin of the variety 

 was rather in a local breed gradually formed during many 

 years in Lincolnshire, apparently from a foundation of Buff 

 Cochin on Dorking and farmyard fowls, and known as the 

 Lincolnshire Buff. These fowls were not bred to a precise 

 standard, some having yellow and some white shanks, some 

 clean and some scantily feathered ; but what they had 

 attained was far more " fixed " by long local breeding in the 

 French manner, than any absolute recent cross. Many of 

 these Lincolnshire birds were admittedly purchased by Mr. 

 Cook, and it is known that many others, selected for 

 smooth white legs, have been purchased and exhibited as 

 buff " Orpingtons," while yellow-legged ones have on the 

 other hand been shown as Plymouth Rocks. It is much to 

 be wished that these large, smooth-legged buff fowls could 

 have an independent name of their own, since they have 

 notoriously nothing to do with either the original Orpington 

 or Rock fowls. The buff " Orpington " is supposed to be 

 bred to the same standard as the black, except for its white 

 shanks and buff plumage ; but this has not been the case 

 hitherto, all we have seen being much taller, and less 

 massive and broad in shape. Of all these manufactured 

 buff varieties, probably this white-legged one is best adapted 

 for the English market, as yellow legs are for the American ; 

 but breeding for buff colour with white shanks is attended 

 with difficulties, and by the time these are quite overcome 

 and yellow shanks banished, we fear the process of over- 

 coming them will have impaired some of the economic 

 merit the fowl originally possessed. 

 Q 



