324 The Illustrated Book oe Poultrv. 



farmstead, that it was difficult to distinguish from each other. All the hens were remarkably short 

 in the leg, and purely white-footed ; yet, strange to say, the cocks bred from these hens were 

 always too lengthy in the legs to be covetable as exhibition birds, but were perfectly clear silver 

 in the hackle, and the breasts and tails iridescent black. These birds always bred true to colour 

 among themselves ; but when crossed with other strains, in the hope to obtain shorter-legged 

 cockerels, invariably 'sported' in feather. It was this leg difficulty as to the cocks (striven hardly 

 and unsuccessfully against for many years) that, I believe, made Mr. Bromley a few years back 

 abandon the breed altogether, a matter of regret to many amateurs, who knew the stock as seen 

 when kept in large numbers on extensive runs, and which proved to me that Silver-grey Dorkings 

 can be continuously bred true to feather from high-coloured parents ; whilst as to weight, even 

 among the two-year-old hens, nine and ten pounds each was a general average." 



A third expedient might perhaps be suggested. We believe that by allowing a clear black 

 stripe in the cock's hackle, while still maintaining the silvery white of the margins, the balance of 

 colour between the sexes might probably be restored, without perhaps injuring the beauty of the 

 male bird, and might enable black-breasted cocks to be bred from pale-breasted and light silvery 

 hens. This, however, would be a decided innovation on the pure white hackle now demanded, 

 and we only mention it as what our own experience teaches us might be a possible solution of the 

 difficulty, without advising it in any way. As it is, we think the present state of things gives 

 rise to more serious faults than a little clear stripe in the hackle would be. Recently, at the great 

 shows of the year (season 1S72-3) we observed prizes given to cocks which were not Silver-greys 

 at all, the breasts not only being speckled and the thighs heavily grizzled, but the hackles a 

 deep yellow ; and compared with such a fault as this last, we should consider even a striped 

 hackle, if clear in colour, very venial. This, however, is a subject on which opinion may legiti- 

 mately differ, and we simply place the suggestion at the service of breeders ; with the remark that 

 by, far the best way both to keep colour and attain weight, would be to recognise and prefer 

 the darker hens so regretted by Mr. Hewitt, who in this matter it will be seen corroborates 

 Mr. Cresswell exactly. No sacrifice in the purity of the grey need be made ; it is simply the 

 darker greys and deeper-coloured breasts that should be selected, when the cocks will be all 

 that can be desired. 



The extreme difficulty of satisfying the stringent conditions just discussed is no doubt the 

 reason of the coaiparatively small number of Silver-grey breeders ; as in all main qualities this 

 variety is in no way inferior to the preceding, unless it be in size. In this respect it cannot 

 certainly compare with the gigantic Coloured birds ; but is fully as hardy, and by some judges, 

 keener than we are in gastronomic matters, is thought to be even more juicy and tender in flesh. 

 Of its great beauty there can be no doubt ; and size might very easily be improved by a little 

 judicious crossing. Putting a fine large cockerel to the lightest Coloured Dorking hens which could 

 be obtained, of the greyer type represented in Fig. 75, by far the greater portion of the progeny 

 would present more or less of the Silver-grey character ; and by crossing these again back to the 

 male parent, and proceeding afterwards with ordinary judgment, the improvement might readily be 

 maintained without losing the colour. The two strains having been so many years bred apart, the 

 strong probability is that constitution and vigour would be also improved by the same treatment. 



WHITE DORKINGS. — No more beautiful birds than these can well be imagined upon a 

 country lawn. In symmetry the White variety surpasses, according to our judgment, all others of 

 the Dorking breed, this fowl combining with the size of the Dorking much of the grace and grand 

 sweeping outlines of the Hamburgh. In Dorking " blood " it is also probably the purest of them 



