30 



America, where the yellow leg is always admired ; the cock should 

 be a good clear bay colour on the triangular space on the closed 

 wing (that is, the secondary quill feathers that show when the wing 

 is closed), and not black or crow-winged as in dark reds ; the hens 

 should be partridge colour, and for breeding cocks wheatens are 

 sometimes used, as in other bright reds. These birds are sometimes 

 bred with streaky or shady breast (i.e., an edging of brown on the 

 breast feathers, and the wing bar sometimes is brown), they are then 

 known as shady-breasted bright reds. I have known these colours 

 breed heavier weights than most breeds, sometimes reaching nearly 

 nine pounds in cocks, and seven and-a-half for hens, but these great 

 weights are seldom advantageous ; such large birds being generally 

 less prolific and beautifully proportioned than those of medium 

 size. The noted birds of Lord Lowther and Holford were of this 

 colour. 



BLACK-BEEASTED EEDS WITH DAEK, WILLOW, OE CAEP LEGS. 



The black breasted reds with carp coloured legs were a very 

 excellent strain, no breed will come more true to colour ; the hens 

 are a good sound partridge hue, free from red on wing ; they closely 

 resemble the above variety except in colour of leg and beak, although 

 they were considered at one time not quite so hard in the pit. This 

 seems the most general colour for game in the Midland and 

 Southern Counties, just as the white and yellow legged birds seem 

 most numerous in the North. The colours are usually very pure 

 and bright, and they carry somewhat less offal than some of the 

 Northern birds. The hens are some of the best of layers. Old Sir 

 Harry Goodlake had a fine strain of this colour with dark olive legs. 

 The bright green legs so commonly seen now are probably the result 

 of crossing the dark legged strain with those having yellow legs. 



THE TEUE BLACK EEDS. 



Of black-breasted reds, as mentioned above, there are many 

 variations, from dark red to the brightest orange hues, but of the 

 true blackred, or black-breasted blackred, rather, there are two 

 colours only, viz., black and red. In colour then the black-breasted 

 blackred should have the hackle, back, scapulars, and shoulder 

 coverts of a clear, vivid dark red, free from any black on the surface 

 but black at the 7-oots of the feathers, while the breast, thighs, belly 



