THE ASIATICS. 



55 



A generous development of comb, ear-lobes and wattles 

 Is a sure sign of procreative vigor. The desire for a small 

 fine head in the males of any breed is a mistake for the 

 above reason. 



THE NECK. 



Hackle should be full; this with head carried forward 

 gives a nice curve rather than prominent arch to the neck; 

 hackle profuse and in length sufficient to cover cape and 

 shoulder, even covering back in part; surface color and 

 quill a rich orange ocherous color with outer edge shading 

 off into a perceptibly lighter shade than center of web. Un- 

 der color hidden well, up to surface color without the sheen 

 (or hard finish, so to speak) ; this under-color must be free 

 from white, a slight shade of blue may be Ignored, but when 

 pronounced, it is a defect, but of less magnitude than white. 

 Defects. Head thrown too far back, neck too long and 

 scantily feathered, the hackle failing to cover cape and 

 shoulder points, surface color faded to drab or light lemon 

 color, or so dark as to show shades of brown in the under- 

 color, a very pale shade or reaching white, to 

 be cut from one-half to one and one-half for 

 each, according to degree. 



We may as well here define the individ- 

 uality of the feather in Cochin plumage. In 

 this breed we have the very largest amount of 

 under-fluff, often reaching more than half the 

 length of the feather, which does not web out 

 smooth. This causes the puffed character and 

 causes the feathers to lie in a curved form, its 

 function being to give us the oonvexed outline 

 in all the sections throughout In shape we 

 describe that much of development as shall 

 pass uncut and which in our judgment can be 

 reached without detracting from productive 

 merit. Any surplus that nature shall give us, 

 which does not mar or alter our standard 

 should not be deemed' a defect in the show 

 room. To- wit: A specimen may have a won- 

 derful amount of plumage in competition with 

 one that fulfills the law. Both must receive 

 full score,' but in case these specimens tie, an 

 honest question arises, which of the two 

 should win? The one over-developed in plum- 

 age has been the favored one heretofore, but 

 when it has been so forcibly demonstrated that Buff Cochin 

 such detracts from productive merit, shall we continue thus 

 to favor such? These are the questions that arise outside of 

 any general law we may make; but in color these exceptions 

 do not arise and we can apply the law with arbitrary force. 

 A rich orange ocherous color is perfect, but the question is 

 how much shading therefrom may be admitted and pass 

 uncut in judging. The evenness of a shade throughout, 

 surely is of prime importance. 



Suppose we make seven, nine, or eleven shades between 

 what we call a light lemon color, and a light brown, or even 

 thirteen divisions, the middle one will be our rich clear 

 ocherous color. Now of the three or five center shades, 

 either should pass uncut but they grow lighter, or toward 

 brown, it becomes defective color. As in other breeds, five 

 shades of described color are advisable. (A light cinnainon 

 might be termed a shade of brown or an ocherous shade.) 

 While we cannot disqualify or rather we would not deem 

 it justice to disqualify, still this shade of brown must be 

 cut as defective color. Prime surface color with poor under- 

 color, is far preferable to prime under-color and poor sur- 

 face color. 



BACK. 

 While the back is broad and flat across cape, the 

 hackle which is long and flowing on to back, gives a very 



short appearance to forward portion; the saddle being full 

 and broad, rising well upon and with the tail coverts en- 

 velopes the tail proper. All serves to give that short ap- 

 pearance to the back as a whole. The profusion of saddle 

 hangers, reaching well down over wing tips, but being 

 slightly flattened on the top destroys any pronounced convex 

 outline Of back from hackle to tail in the male. In the 

 female this saddle, or cushion, as it is called in her case, 

 must be a pure convex outline from neck plumage to tail 

 so profuse as to be a complete circle from top around base 

 of tail, meeting the circling plumage under tail, the back 

 long enough to secure the con vexed formation and give 

 a slight dblong appearance to structure. Exposure to sun 

 and storms will, in a vast majority of cases, cause surface 

 color to be somewhat faded from the rich ocherous color de- 

 manded by our standard, but we must demand a tolerably 

 clear shade in quill, however, and permit a shade lighter, 

 but free from the sheen In the fibre of under-color. 



.Defects. Back narrow, too straight, or concave, lines 



Cockerel and Hen, scoring 94 and 92J£ Bred and Owned by A. A. IJvans. 



from neck to tail too short and wanting in saddle and cush- 

 ion, oval shape of cape, surface color faded to -a drab or 

 mottled with brown, white in quill or under-color, cut one- 

 half to one and one-half for these evils according to degree. 

 Passing as unworthy crooked shell bone or slipped hips. 



In the Cochins there is little if any of that description 

 for forward part of back, all being covered by hackle or 

 hidden by a pronounced type of cushion. Back in any breed 

 is simply a collective term for cape and saddle and cushion, 

 and when we say, "back broad and flat," we mean "cape 

 broad and flat," for surely that is what is commonly accepted 

 as a broad, flat back; without this upon which the neck 

 plumage flows out how much of beauty and symmetry are 

 lost. 



BREAST. 



The quarter muscle is full, tapering downwards, beirig 

 very broad across in front and deep to forward point, of keel; 

 thus we say for the male full and deep. Outline from throat 

 to keel long in its sweep. This effect comes from the for- 

 ward" carriage of head and neck, which takes from breast 

 much of the globular form in the male, the same as it re- 

 duced the rear outline of neck to a curve. In the female, 

 the breast appears more round and the outline from throat 



