1 6 cocker's manual. 



lection has obviated all trouble in molding the head into the required 

 shape. Not only does every poultry show contain these mongrels ia 

 abundance, our judges encourage them, and even the illustrations of 

 our modern poultry books would pass muster for improved Malays, and 

 are mere caricatures of real Game fowls, such as are seen in 'Rural 

 Sports,' from a good painting by Marshall, of one of the most perfect 

 cocks ever seen; It took centuries of careful breeding to gain that 

 perfection, and the trial was often for a fortune, thousands depending 

 on the prowess of a single bird. Now, we are told a few years' breed- 

 ing them to be shown a score together for a few shillings or a cup has 

 improved them, and readers are asked to believe it. I shall give them 

 Punch's advice to those contemplating marriage and say, 'Don't.' " — 

 [Cornish Duckwing. 



BREEDING GAMES. 



The breeding of Games is just as much a science as the breeding of 

 other fancy poultry, and it is a mistaken idea of fanciers to think as 

 they have purchased perhaps at a large expense a pair or trio of Games 

 from some noted breeder's yards that it is all that is required to pro- 

 duce a nu.Tiber of fine fowl; but care, time, and a large amount of 

 patience will also be needed. They can be just as easily raised as 

 other breeds of fowls and at no more expense to the breeder, and as 

 he grows in experience so much less will be the work, as each season 

 will teach him something new. They being hardy can be confined in 

 very small runs, and for this reason can be bred in small places as they 

 have a strong constitution. We find them in their prime when two 

 years old, but as a general thing the cock wears out faster than the 

 hen, although the hens at an old age only lay about one clutch. We 

 now have a cock in our possession which is over twelve years of age, 

 and as far as we can notice appears as young as a two-year-old, and 

 his stag's comb as stronjg and vigorous as any we raise. But very few 

 Game fowl ever live to this age, as owing to their quarrelsome dispo- 

 sitions sooner or later they die by accident or some disease caused by- 

 fighting. 



