Schedule for J udgixg Dorkixgs. 





SCHEDULE FOR JUDGING DORKINGS. 



General Characteristics of Cock.— I/mii and A'tvi— General appearance of head rather large, but dignified, and free 

 from coarseness; beak stout and well-proportioned [not "short" as in the "Standard"]; comb, if single, large, upright, evenly 

 serrated, and free from excrescent growths — if rose, square or upright on the head, wide in front, and narrowing to a peak 

 pointing backwards with a slight upward inclination behind, and the tops of the points presenting an even surface free from hollow 

 in the middle ; wattles very large and pendent ; deaf-ears moderately developed, hanging as nearly as possible about one-third the 

 depth of the wattles ; neck rather short, and very full of hackle, making it appear extremely broad at the base, and tapering rapidly 

 to the head. Body — General appearance deep and square ; the outline, when viewed sideways, presenting almost the appearance of 

 a short rectangle (see Fig. 78) ; back broad and rather long ; saddle broad, but inclining downward to the tail, which springs out at 

 nearly a right angle ; breast very deep, prominent, and full ; wings 

 large and broad. Legs and Feet — Thighs large and well-developed, 

 but carried "along" the body so as not to be conspicuous; shanks 

 short, moderately stout, fine in texture, perfectly free from any sign of 

 leg-feather, and set on well to the body— the spur in the proper position, 

 pointing rather inside ; toes large and well-spread, the hinder toe 

 being double, and the extra toe well-formed — viz., the normal toe as 

 nearly as possible in the natural position, and the extra one placed 

 above, starting from close to the other, but perfectly distinct, and 

 pointing rather upwards (see Plate). ToU—YmW and ample, carried 

 nearly erect, but not squirrel-fashion, and the sickles very broad and 

 sweeping. Size — Very large, ranging from ten to thirteen and occa- 

 sionally even fourteen pounds in adults, and eight to eleven pounds 

 in cockerels. General S/iape — Square and plump. Carriage — Rather 

 quiet but stately, with the breast carried well forward. 



General Characteristics of Hen. — Head and Neck — General 

 appearance of head neat and matronly ; comb resembling the cock's if 

 rose, but if single falling over to one side of the face ; wattles and deaf- 

 ears as in the cock, but proportionately smaller ; neck short and neat. 

 Body — Very similar in general appearance to the cock's, but longer in 

 proportion. Legs and Feet — Like the cock's in all points, with the 



exception of spurs. Tail — Well-developed and the feathers very broad, but carried rather closely if the bird is in healthy condition. 

 5'/:^ — Very large, ranging from eight to ten pounds, or even more. General Shape — Plump and deep, but rather long compared 

 with the Asiatics. Carriage — Staid and matronly. 



Fig. 78. 



Colour of Grey Dorkings. — Tn both Sexes — Comb, deaf-ears,* and wattles brilliant red. Legs" a delicate white, vrith a 

 pinky shade. Colour of Cock — Hackle white or straw, more or less striped with black. Saddle resembling hackle ; back various 

 shades of white, black and white, or grey, mixed with maroon or red. Wing-bow white, or white mixed with black or grey ; 

 wing-coverts or bar black glossed with green ; secondaries white on outer web, black on inner web. Breast and under-parts black, 

 or black mottled with white, and occasionally with red. Tail black, richly glossed, often however mingled with white. Colour of 

 Hen — Hackle white or pale straw, striped with black or greyish black. Breast a salmon red, each feather tipped with dark grey 

 verging on black. Rest of body nearly black, the shaft of feather showing cream-white, and each feather being slightly paler on 

 the edges ; except on wings, where the centre of the feather is a brownish-gi-ey ground, covered with a small rich marking, 

 surrounded by a thick lacing of the black. Tail also nearly black, the outer feathers slightly pencilled. Another successful colour 

 is, every feather over the body pencilled a browoiish grey in the centre, with a black lacing round, breast being as just described. In 

 a very few cases hens have won with a colour approaching silver-grey, the black lacing being almost absent, and the pencilling 

 lighter ; but this is never the case unless very large and fine birds. 



Colour of Silver-grey Dorkings. — In both Sexes — Comb, face, deaf-ears,* and wattles brilliant red. Legs white, or 

 pinky-white [in this breed the legs are much more pinky than either of the others, usually showing a very strong reddish tinge 

 between the scales]. Colour of Cock — I-Iackle and saddle pure silvery white, free from both straw-colour or marking of any kind. 

 Back, shoulder-coverts, and wing-bow silvery white ; wing-coverts, or "bar," lustrous black glossed with gi'een or blue. Secondaries 



■ * The colour of deaf-ears is not of great importance even in Silver-greys ; but there can be no doubt that red is the correct 

 colour, and that white is some little disadvantage in competition. 



