Description of White Cochins. 225 



symptoms of improvement of late, and we have private knowledge of marl<ed advance in several 

 yards. The hen was a truly extraordinary bird, one of the very best Cochins ever beheld ; and 

 those who saw the style in which she and her consorts won at the Bristol show of 1867, not only 

 the cup in their own class, but that for the best pen of Cochins in the show, beating both a good 

 class of Buffs and one of the best White classes ever seen, will not wonder at our choice of a 

 representative. The portrait hardly, perhaps, does her justice in colour ; being made from her 

 stuffed remains. 



WHITE COCHINS. — The number of persons who can keep any breed of white fowls must 

 always be limited, or no breed of Cochins would have more enthusiastic admirers than this. We 

 have often wondered that it is not more kept, simply as an ornament, by the proprietors of country 

 mansions, for nothing can be more indescribably beautiful than half a dozen White Cochins dotted 

 over the rich green of a lawn ; while they usually do little or no harm in the way of scratching, even 

 to the flower beds, and easily become so tame that children may take them up in their arms. It is 

 rather singular that whilst the White Cochin cock is rarely quite equal to his " Buff brother" in the 

 peculiar Cochin carriage and style, particularly as regards the saddle and tail, which last is 

 generally too long, the Jien not unfrequently surpasses all other varieties in the grand points of 

 width, cushion, fluff, and feather. In all these respects the bird represented in our plate was a 

 perfect model ; and was in fact so well known for her high qualities, that at an auction, since our 

 portrait was taken, she realised the sum of fourteen guineas, one of the highest prices given for any 

 single hen of late years. 



The plumage of this variety may be simply and shortly described as a pure and perfect white all 

 over, and breeding them is therefore comparatively a simple matter, though, owing to the purity of 

 colour requisite to success, we cannot say it is more easy than in the case of other varieties. This 

 purity of colour, in fact, is the most difficult point ; besides which. White Cochins, if at all heavily 

 feathered, are peculiarly liable to vulture-hocks. Owing to this tendency many almost bare legs 

 are shown ; but so very bad and out of taste appears a bare-legged White Cochin, of all breeds, 

 that we would infinitely rather see even heavy hocks in this case than such an unsightly type of 

 bird. By mating heavily-hocked cocks with nearly bare-legged hens, however, in a large number 

 of cases perfect hocks may be secured ; but we should advise the hocks being cut off with shears, 

 in order to avoid any effect on the imagination of the hen. Regarding other points, they will be 

 found sufficiently treated of in the following notes, furnished at our request by Mr. Elijah Smith, 

 who has few competitors as a breeder and exhibitor of this variety, and under whose care the birds 

 we have portrayed achieved most of their well-earned triumphs : — 



" In choosing your breeding stock, be very careful to select those that are the purest white. 

 There are several shades of white in Cochins, so that it is very essential to select the richest white, 

 and especially such birds as have retained their white plumage after they have moulted ; for there 

 are a great many go yellow on the back and wings after moulting, and you will sometimes see this 

 even in cockerels. You should avoid breeding from such birds if you have others to choose from — •' 

 as to be successful in exhibiting White Cochins the rich and clear white plumage is the great point 

 to be aimed at — or you will be disappointed, as the young stock will generally take after the parent 

 in this respect. The hens are not so subject to this change of colour as the cock, but still you will 

 see a difference even in them upon close examination; and always select the best and cleanest 

 coloured ones, and you may depend upon it that it will repay you for the trouble in your young stock. 



" Your male bird should have plenty of quality, viz., good straight comb, not too large, but 

 smooth, well serrated, and very firm on the head ; good large deaf ears, quite red, and large wattles ; 

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