Description op Partridge Cochins. 217 



ago by the Rev. Mr. Marsh, of Massachusetts ; so good and pure, in fact, was his strain, that birds 

 are still to be found descended from it, which it is believed have never been crossed by any 

 other importation. 



The Partridge Cochin cock should be a rich and rather orange red about the head, and hackle 

 the same with a black stripe down the middle of each feather, the saddle-feathers being similar. 

 The back, shoulder-coverts, and wing-bow are rich red of a rather darker shade, the lower wing- 

 coverts being glossy black, with blue or green reflections, forming a "bar" across the wing. The 

 primary or flight quill-feathers should be black, with an edging of rich brown or bay on the lower 

 edge ; secondaries, bay on outer edges, and black on the inner, each feather being metallic black 

 on the end, so as to form a black edge about an inch wide on the upper side of the wing-butts, 

 and forming a rich background under the tips of the saddle-hackles. The breast, thighs, under- 

 parts, tail, and leg-feathers should be rich black in an exhibition bird ; white in the tail or brown 

 in the breast or thighs being objectionable. The shanks should be dusky yellow, a shade of red 

 between the scales being rather a recommendation than otherwise. 



The Partridge hen has a hackle of rich gold colour, densely striped down the middle with 

 black, the remainder of the plumage being light brown, pencilled over with very dark brown (see 

 feathers on page 221), the pencilling following the outline of the feather. According to the 

 " Standard of Excellence," the feathers on the wings and sides should show the shafts of a rich 

 creamy-white, forming a white streak down the centre of each feather, and this colour is much 

 the easiest to breed : but both the judges and the best fanciers have of late shown a strong 

 objection to this, and a decided preference for a solid pencilling all over the body, somewhat 

 resembling the Dark Brahma ; indeed, it is probably the superior effect to the eye of the latter 

 breed which has led to the change. The total absence of the white shaft is therefore now sought 

 by our best breeders, and finds most favour with the judges, though it is much harder to breed to 

 perfection. The most important point, however, is that the breast up to the very throat be 

 solidly and densely pencilled over with crescent-shaped markings, a bare yellow or clayey breast 

 being absolute disqualification if the competition be at all severe. In a high-class hen, the 

 marking on the breast is very nearly like that on the back and sides. The purer the brown 

 colour of the ground the better ; and any approach to a yellow ground is in exact proportion a 

 decided fault, though we have sometimes seen it justly condoned for unusual accuracy or beauty 

 of pencilling. Legs dusky yellow. With regard to the leg-feathering the "Standard" is again 

 most decidedly wrong, stating that the feather should be "brown," whereas in all the highest class 

 birds it is \>XQWVi pencilled over as on the body.* 



Grouse Cochins are now merely darker Partridge (or rafhtr, perhaps. Partridge is become 

 lighter Grouse), though when the white shaft was bred in the Partridges there was a decided 

 difference, the Grouse having always been bred with solid markings free from any streak. The colour 

 of the hen's hackle in Grouse birds is richer, approaching a reddish gold. In both varieties, now 

 merged into one of slightly different shades, as in the various Buffs, the colour of the cock is the same. 



The following remarks upon Partridge Cochins are by Mr. E. Tudman, of Ashgrove, 

 Whitchurch, Salop, so well known as a regular prize-taker with this fine variety; and are rather 

 remarkable as showing the opinion of so long and experienced an admirer with regard to the 

 great difficulty of breeding it to anything really like perfection. 



• The above description of Partridge Cochins differs so expressly from that in Mr. Tegetmeier's "Standard" that, aUhough 

 given on our own responsibility, we ought to say that we have a note from Mr. Hewitt, in which he states, after perusal, the 

 above paragraph to be his "own opinions precisely." As we shall differ seriously from the "Standard" on other points, it is 

 well to make it thus clear at the outset that we never do so w ithout good grounds. 

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