2o8 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



In Qur own descriptions we have had the assistance in revision both of Mr. Douglas and 

 another eminent Game judge, and they may be relied upon as representing the birds as now 

 demanded for the show-pen. Since the decline of cock-fighting, some of the sub-colours have so 

 nearly gone out, and can so seldom be shown with any chance of success, that we shall only 

 describe the standard colours, with the addition of a few from the American "Standard ;" leaving 

 the descriptions of Mr. Douglas in the text to answer for the remainder. Should any of these 

 ever be exalted to exhibition rank — and there have been some signs lately of an attempt to revive 

 the Blue Dun, a most magnificent fowl — fanciers would speedily frame standards of feather far 

 more precise than any which could be given now, and any minute description would, therefore, 

 not only be at present useless, but whenever it became of any use, almost certainly erroneous. 



SCHEDULE FOR JUDGING GAME. 



General Characteristics of Cock. — Head and Neck — General appearance of head rather long, thin, and keen ; beak 

 strong, slightly curved, and stout where set on ; whole face smooth and fine in texture, including deaf-ears and throat. [In undubbed 

 birds the combs should be upright, thin, straight, and evenly serrated ; deaf-ears and wattles also very thin, red, and smooth in 

 texture.] Eyebrows free from "lowering" expression, which denotes Malay blood. Neck somewh.it long and slightly arched ; 

 hackle short, so as just to reach between the shoulders, but not to flow over the back, .fft?^/)/— General shape rather slight, largest 

 at shoulders, and tapering to the tail somewhat like the shape of a fir-cone ; back flat, widest at shoulders, and tapering towards 

 saddle, and somewhat slanting ; breast hard and full, but not deep or turkey-breasted ; saddle narrow, the feathers short and 

 scanty ; wings powerful and of moderate length ; the points nicely carried under the saddle-feathers. Legs and /"(•£•/— Thighs rather 

 long, but well carried along the body, not perpendicularly, or so as to appear long, vei-y round and hard ; shanks in just proportion, 

 with smooth handsome scales, the spurs set on rather low ; toes long, straight, and thin, with well-shaped nails, and the back toe 

 low and nearly flat on the ground. Tail— A. nice medium length, neither too close nor too spread, but only moderately raised, and 

 jeach sickle-feather as nearly as possible just clearing the next one and no more ; the sickles and whole plumage sound, hard, and 



glossy. Size Rather small, ranging from four pounds and a half to six pounds. General A/Jiearanee— Rather slim, but showing 



much agility, strength, "elasticity," and vigour, with great hardness of flesh and plumage. Carriage— Very upright, alert, and 

 courageous. 



Generai. Characteristics of Hen. — In all respects similar to those of the cock, except that the tail is carried not much 

 above the horizontal line, and her comb should be thin, upright, quite straight, and neatly serrated, i'^sj-— Rather small, averaging 

 about four pounds and a half. General Appearance— 'Very neat and trim. Carriage— K\.er\., quick, and active. 



Colour of Black-red Game. — In loth Sexes — Beak yellow, or horn-colour ; whole face, including comb and deaf-ear, 

 brilliant scarlet-red. Eyes brilliant red. Shanks, willow or olive preferable, but yellow and white permissible [blue legs rarely now 

 win anywhere]. Colour of Cock—WenA and hackle bright orange-red. Back, shoulder-coverts, and wing-bow rich violet-red 

 shaded with orange. Wing-coverts rich green-black, forming a bar across the wing. Secondaries rich bay on outer web, which is 

 all that appears when wing is closed ; black on inner web. with a black end to eacli feather, forming a black edge to comer of the 

 ' wing. Primaries black, with a bay edge on outside web. Saddle, bright orange-red. Breast and under parts rich deep black, of a 

 blueish shade. Tail black, glossed with green or purple. Darker colours than the above are permissible, but inferior in both 

 beauty and exhibition value. Colour of jY^j— Hackle rich golden yellow, striped with black. Bre.ist a salmon red at the throat, 

 running into ashy colour towards the tliighs, which are a brownish ash-colour. Rest of the plumage a rich brown partridge 

 marking, which should on no account run into distinct stripes or pencilling, except on the larger tail-feathers, in which some 

 approach to bars is generally perceptible. 



Colour of Brown-red Game. — In both ^Vavj-— Beak nearly or quite black. Face and head a deep rich purple-red, or even 

 almost a purple black [there are judges who prefer each]. Eyes a very dark brown or black. Legs dark or willow. Colour of 

 Cock — Head and hackles orange red, with a faint trace of streak in the feathers. Back and shoulders dark crimson; saddle-feathers 

 rather lighter than the hackle, shading off at sides into d.irk lemon, with a rich stripe in each feather. Wing-coverts glossy black ; 

 primaries and secondaries a more smoky colour. Breast-feathers almost black, laced with bay, with a little streak in centre of each 

 feather. Tail black, the sickles richly glossed. Thighs and all under parts black. [Other shades are permissible ; the hackle may 

 vary to bright orange, and the dark crimson to rich crimson, &c.; but these varieties are not reducible to standards.] Colour of Hen — 

 Hackle rich deep gold, rich gold, or bright lemon striped with black. Rest of body brilliant black, dusky black , or very deep brown, 

 all being admissible ; but the brilliant black-bodied hens should go with the laced-breasted and brighte.^t coloured cocks to look well. 

 In Ginger-breasted Brown-reds some latitude is allowed, antl also in other sub-varieties of the Brown-reds. In all these, what 

 is chiefly looked for is a general harmony of colour, with signs of careful breeding, combined with symmetry and hardness of flesh 

 and feather. 



