OAMti FOWL. 38 



The deaf-ear and wattles ghoul& be small. The neck, from the 

 absence of hackle feathers, looks longer and more slender than 

 that of her mate. The tail feathers should be held closely 

 together, and not spread out like a fan. The plumage should be 

 so close that the form of the wing should be distinctly visible, 

 the outline not being hidden by the feathers of the body. 



As the Game fowl is impatient of restraint, a good grass run 

 is essential to keep it in good condition. In breeding great care 

 must be taken in matching, as regards form, feather and the 

 color of the beak and legs. Much depends upon the purity of 

 the hens, for a good Game hen, with a dimghill cock, will breed 

 -good fighting birds, but the best Game cock, with a dunghill 

 hen, will not breed a bird good for anything. It is not desirable 

 tomate old birds; a stag, or last year's bird placed with hens 

 two or three years .old, will produce finer chickens than when 

 an old cock is mated with last season's hens. For great excel- 

 lence, four hens with one cock is sufficient. 



The hens are good layers and as sitters have no superiors. 

 Quiet on their eggs, regular in coming off, and confident,, in their 

 fearlessness, of Tepelling intruders, they Tarely fail to rear good 

 broods, and defend them from violent attacks. 



The newly-hatched chickens are very attractive; those of the 

 darker breeds are light brown, with a dark brown Eitripe down 

 the back and a narrower line over the eye. The duck-wings, 

 grays and blues have proportionaJly paler hues, but the stripe is 

 seldom absent. 



The chickens feather rapidly, and with good care and liberal, 

 varied diet, such as cottage cheese, chopped egg, with a portion 

 of onions, breadcrumbs, grits, boiled oatmeal, barley and wheat, 

 with some mUk in the earlier stages of their growth, are reared 

 with less difficulty than other fowls. 



As Game fowls will fight, and as they are frequently trained 

 for fighting, it is argued that their combs, ear-lobes and wattles 



