Techxjcal Terms. 



207 



Sc!f-coUttr. —A unifonn tint over tlie feather. 



Shaft. — The stem or quill of a feather. 



Shank. — The scaly part of the leg. (No. 20.) 



Sickles. — The top curved feathers of a cock's tail. Properly 



only applied to the top pair, but sometimes used for one or 



two pairs below which can hardly be called tail-coverts. 



(No. 10.) 

 Spangling. ^Tlie marking produced by each feather having one 



large spot or splash of some colour different to the ground. 

 Sptir.—Ths sharp offensive weapon on the heel of a cock. 



(No. 21.) 

 Sqiiii-rel-taile l.—TUe tail projecting in front of a perpendicular 



line, over the back. 

 Stag. — Another term for a young cock, chiefly used by Game 



fanciers. 

 Strain. — A race of fowls which, having been carefully bred by 



one breeder or his successors for years, has acquired an 



individual character of its own which can be more or less 



relief upon. 

 Symmtry. — Perfection of proportion; often confounded with 



carriage, but quite distinct ; as a bird may be nearly perfect 



in proportion, and yet "carry" himself awkwardly. 

 Tail-cavetts. — The soft, glossy, curved feathers at the sides ot 



the bottom of the tail. Usually the same colour as the tail 



itself (No. II.) 



Tail-feathers.— "Xhz. straight and stiff feathers of the tail only. 



The top pair are sometimes slightly curved, but they are 



always nearly if not quite straight, and are contained inside 



the sickles and tail-coverts. (No. 12.) 

 Thighs. — Tile joint above the shanks ; the first joint clothed 



with feathers. The same as the drumstick in dressed fowls. 

 (No. 18.) 

 Top'knot. — Same as Crest. 



Trio. —A cock or cockerel, and two hens or pullets. 

 Under-colour. — The colour of the plumage seen when the surface 

 has been lifted. It chiefly depends, on that of the down 

 seen at the root of eveiy feather 



Vulture-hock. — Stiff projecting feathers at the hock -joint. The 

 feathers must be both stiff and projecting to be thus truly 

 called and condemned. (See ¥\g. 59, drawn from a Brahma 

 pullet.) 



■^- 





j.r&^ 



Fig- 59- 



Wattles. — The red depending structures at each side of the base 

 of the beak. Chiefly developed in the male sex. (No. 3.) 



Web. — This term is indefinite, expressing a flat and thin structure. 

 The web of a feather is the flat or plume portion ; the web 

 of the foot, the flat skin between the toes ; of the wing, the 

 triangular skin seen when the member is extended. 



Wing-fiar. — Any line of dark colour across the middle of the 

 wing, caused by the colour or marking of the feathers known 

 as the lower wing-coverts. (No. 14.) 



Wing-bim.'. — The upper or shoulder part of the wing. (No 13.) 



Wing-butts. — The comers or ends of the wing. The upper ends 

 are more properly called the shoulder-butts, and are thus 

 termed by Game fanciers. The lower, similarly, are often 

 called the lower butts. 



Wi'.g-coz'erts. — The brood -feathers covering the roots of the 

 secondary quills. (No. 14.) 



