68 
THE AMERICAN 
Breast and Body: Breast, deep black, broad and full: — 
Body, very firm and muscular, not soft or hollow on the sides, 
broadest at the shoulders, and tapering to the tail — plumage 
throughout, a rich, deep black. 
Wings: Of medium length, and powerful, the butts and 
shoulders slightly raised, as if for a sudden spring; the remain- 
der not drooping, but carried compactly against the sides, the 
points resting under the saddle-feathers. 
Tail: Of medium length, carried well together and at a 
moderate elevation — sickle-feathers and tail-coverts a rich, 
glossy, or metallic black. 
Legs: Thighs, deep black, rather long, round, stout, hard 
and firm, and placed well forward on the body: — Shanks, dark 
olive, leaden-black, or bronzy-black, rather long, bony, clean 
and sti-ong, and standing well and evenly apart, the scales 
smooth and close, and the spurs set on low: — Feet, broad, thin 
and flat; the toes long, straight and spreading, and well fur- 
nished with strong nails ; the hind-toes set low on the feet, stand- 
ing well backwards, and flat on the ground, and not merely 
touching with the points, or duck-footed. 
Hardness of Feather: Body-feathers, short, hard and 
firm, — quills, very hard and strong. 
THE HEN. 
Head: Long, slender, tapering, and very neat in appear- 
ance: — Beak, dark olive or bronzy-black, slightly curved, sharp 
at the point and stout at the base. 
Comb, Wattles and Ear-lobes: Comb, single, small and 
thin, low in front, evenly serrated and perfectl}^ erect and 
straight: — Wattles, bright red, small, thin and neatly rounded 
on the edges: — Ear-lobes, bright red, very small and close to 
the face. 
Eyes: Black or brown, large, prominent and bright, with 
a quick, fiery expression, and perfectly alike in color. 
