12 cocker's manual. 



"Game fowls have not gained their popularity as other breeds, by 

 one class of admirers only. Many breed them for table purposes^ 

 justly preferring their delicate white skin and flesh, round, plump ap- 

 pearance, and rich nutritious game-like flavor, both of flesh and eggs,, 

 to all other poultry. Others breed them for the beauty of their ele- 

 gant muscular symmetry and brilliancy of feather ; whilst a few of the 

 old school still breed them for those points so ominous of sudden 

 death, and every Englishman admires their unrivaled courage. Now, 

 how far do exhibition birds supply either of these requirements? Cer- 

 tainly not as a table fowl, as fully ninety per cent, of show birds have 

 dark legs and skins, although the purestand best Game fowls ever seen 

 in England, consequently in the world, have had white legs ; and in 

 shape a roasted or boiled exhibition Game fowl more nearly resembles 

 a Heron in its narrow shape and length than a true Game fowl, whilst 

 for tenderness and flavor of the two breeds, well, you can dine on one- 

 and try to on the other. 



"As for symmetry the true Game fowl was bred so as to have the 

 greatest possible strength and activity, combined with the lightest 

 weight possible to go to scale with. The show bird is bred with a 

 beak and head as long and weak as a snipe, yet we are asked to be- 

 lieve with all this want of leverage he can hold and tear like a hawk ; 

 he is thin, long-necked, has long legs, and is stilty upright, conse- 

 quently has not the least spring or force to fight if he wished — has no 

 forehand; in fact, a cup-winner is out of all proportion, for if a 5-lb. 

 cock has one quarter inch too much length of body, leg or head, he 

 must necessarily be so. As to color, the original Black-breasted Dark 

 Red has not been seen in a show pen since the first few shows at Bir- 

 mingham, and is as different in color to our present Black-breasted 

 Reds of the show pen as they are to Brown-breasted Reds, which are 

 also a new-made color, being totally unknown to the old frequenters 

 «f the Royal cock pit. 



"As to their fighting it scarcely requires a word. They were never 

 intended for it, and it would be a cruelty to put them to what they 

 either wijl not or cannot do. Mr. Wright has seen both breeds, and 

 'Duckwing' has bred both, I have bred both, and used them suc- 

 cessfully for each purpose, and I quite endorse 'Black Red's' opinion. 



"I do not write with the spleen of a disappointed exhibitor, as I am 

 sure I can compare results favorably with any exhibitor in England 



