preferred at this time ; also to compare their 

 small number with the wealth of prized strains, 

 which were developed as time went on and the 

 importance of careful breeding became more 

 and more generally recognised 



Markham says that the best were u the grey 

 pile, the yellow pile or else red with the black 

 breast." The pied bird was not esteemed, 

 "and the white and dun are the worst." The 

 *' red with the black breast " were without 

 doubt the strain known at a later date as the 

 " black reel " 



Redness above the head indicated lust, 

 strength and courage ; pallor the reverse ; but 

 the principal clue to a bird's courage lay in the 

 way he moved ''the pricle of his going" in 

 the walk, and by the frequency of his crowing 

 in the pen 



Breeders at this period crossed their game 

 fowl with the common barn-door breeds ; the 

 theory was that in such crossing all depended 

 on the hen : u the perfect hen from a Dunghill 

 cock will bring a good chicken ; but the best 

 cock from a Dunghill hen can never get a good 

 bird." He cites the two most famous cocks 

 that ever fought in his time, Noble and 

 Grissell, which from ill-bred hens begat many 

 very bad cocks. Markham adds that it is of 



