COCKER S MANUAL. 95 



beautiful and well-made bird, and a most extraordinary, desperate and 

 rapid fighter. It was these latter qualities which produced the coin- 

 cidence and drew forth the remark which gave to this cock the name 

 Counterfeit. Some twenty years or more ago, a main of cocks was 

 fought at Gavanstown, Baltimore county, Maryland. One of the 

 battles of the main was between a very celebrated black-white speckled 

 cock, called the Class-Leader, and the then obscure black-red cock 

 whose progeny afterwards became so celebrated. The two cocks 

 came together, and at first, it was said, the Class-Leader had the ad- 

 vantage and struck his antagonist so hard he was crazed. He quickly 

 recovered, however, and attacked the Class-Leader with such fierceness 

 that he soon killed him. The extraordinary fighting qualities dis- 

 played by the winning cock led one of the old cockers present to 

 believe him to be his own, and he exclaimed, aloud, in the pit : 

 "Ah ! Skipper, that's my cock j that's the one you ought to have sent 

 me, for mine was a d — d counterfeit !" This occasioned great laughter, 

 and the little black-red rose-comb cock was forthwith named Coun- 

 terfeit. After the battle he was taken to a gentleman named Goss, 

 who used him for a breeder, and this originated the Counterfeit strain. 

 He was, also, the winner of several subsequent battles, and was finally 

 conquered by a War Eagle cock. The original Counterfeit cock was 

 bred by Billy Hoffman, of Carroll county, Maryland, and was from a 

 strain known as the old Charley Martin cocks. 



RED QUILLS. 



This strain has an extensive reputation in Virginia and in a few 

 other Southern States, while in others they are comparatively unknown. 

 We have bred them for a few seasons, and consider them one of the 

 best for pit purposes. They have a handsome plumage and lofty car- 

 riage. The cock has a small round head, neck full and well hackled, 

 breast full and strong, tail long and well sickled, wings long and low 

 on the shank, legs either yellow or green, and vary in size from four 

 and one-half to five and one-half pounds. They have unflinching 

 gameness, and will soon earn an extensive reputation throughout the 



West. 



CLAIBORNES. 



This is a noted breed of fowl, taking their name from the gentleman 

 who bred and fought them for a number of years in the Southern 



