2i8 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



" To breed any variety of fowls to feather I consider a very difficult undertaking, and, if 

 attainable, must be the result of many years' experience and close watchfulness. As an illustration, 

 the cockerel which was the companion at the Bristol show of the hen portrayed, although as a 

 cockerel he was a beautifully-coloured bird, in his second year became worthless, as he moulted 

 perfectly brown in the thighs and breast. Again, the remarkable hen illustrated has during the 

 past season bred pullets of a directly opposite colour to herself, and on the contrary I have had 

 birds (cocks) which would never throw one not true to colour ; and the question has therefore often 

 arisen in my mind, should there not be two classes of Dark Cochins, brown-breasted and black- 

 breasted, as in Game ? Mr. Punchard's Dark Cochins which he used to exhibit were, I believe, 

 brown-breasted ;* so that the black breast of the present day is of recent introduction, and is 

 difficult to attain, the want of it frequently annihilating the chances of what may be otherwise 

 a most valuable bird. 



"At present there is much danger in breeding from cocks other than with breasts black well 

 up to the throttle, black thighs, and bright red hackle well and darkly striped, and in fact I have 

 never done so. Some breeders I believe breed from dark pullets to get the desired colour in 

 cockerels, but I am of opinion that this is much of a lottery. 



"It is essential that fresh blood should be introduced from other yards in this as in other 

 breeds; but I consider this should be done with the greatest care and judgment, and the 

 breed and pedigree of birds carefully ascertained. A stricter attention to this would, I think, 

 not produce the frequent disappointments to which Partridge Cochin breeders are peculiarly 

 subject. 



"Although our judges have of late I think sacrificed to some extent colour for size, colour 

 has always been my ideal of beauty in Partridge Cochins. The white shaft of the feathers in 

 pullets is now to a great extent condemned ; and birds covered all over with solid regular 

 pencillings are desired, with the same brown colour over the whole of the body. Birds with 

 yellow or clay breasts are objectionable, although we see birds of large size even with clay 

 breasts sometimes awarded prizes. 



"The htn cannot be too large in frame, with full cushion, neat head and comb, her hackle 

 darkly striped, and the body wholly and distinctly pencilled with a dark brown or grouse-colour. 

 Any approach to yellow or clay in the breast or throat is most objectionable." 



The Partridge Cochin is in fact most difficult to breed to the recognised show standards in any 

 large proportion of the chickens. In this all breeders are agreed ; and we think it may be traced 

 *o the fact that the first Partridge Cochin cocks were undoubtedly more or less brown-breasted, a 

 colour which has not for a long time been allowed in the show-pen. It has been stated, especially 

 by one writer of much pretension, that the black breast so desired was produced by a cross from the 

 Black Cochin ; but for this assertion there is no ground. It might not be safe to deny that the cross 

 was ever employed; but we do know that one at least of the best strains in England has never been so 

 crossed, and the assertion is therefore unnecessary merely to account for the change, which is indeed 

 far less than simple selection in the hands of skilled men is capable of accomplishing in any breed. 

 The old brown-breasted cocks and streaky-marked hens were bred true to feather with comparative 

 ease ; but the change to black breasts in the cocks was made before that to solid marking in the 

 hens, and hence the origin of the difficulty. The means of overcoming it appear to be understood 

 as yet by only a very few breeders, and various amateurs of note proceed upon a somewhat 



• To a great extent we believe this remark to be incorrect, though it has been repeated in m.iny quarters as if unquestionable. 

 Mr. Hewitt writes us that " Mr. Punchard's best cocks, as judged so frequently in years far gone, were entirely black-breasted j" 

 and no one can speak to this point with such authority. 



