STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE. 
43 
— Body, very firm and muscular, not soft or hollow on the 
sides, broadest at the shoulders and tapering towards the tail. 
Wings: Of medium length and powerful, the butts and 
shoulders slightly raised, as if for a sudden spring; the re- 
mainder not drooping, but carried compactly against the sides, 
the points resting under the saddle-feathers; the primaries 
dusky-black; secondaries, black, with metallic lustre towards 
the ends of the feathers; wing-bows, dark crimson-red; wing- 
butts, black, or very dusky-brown ; wing-coverts, rich, glossy 
black. 
Tail: Black, of medium length, carried well together, and 
at a moderate elevation — tail-coverts, rich, glossy black, and 
nicely curved. 
Legs: Thighs, dusky-black, rather long, round, stout, liard 
and firm, and i)laced well forward on the body: — Shanks, olive, 
dark w^illow or bronzy-black, rather long, bony, clean and 
strong, 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 furnished 
with strong nails; the hind-toes set low on the feet, standing 
well backwards and flat on the ground, and not merely touch- 
ing with the points, or duck-footed. 
Hardness of Feather: Body-feathers, short, hard and 
firm, — quills, very hard and strong. 
THE HEN. 
Head: Dark, dusky-brown, approaching a dusky-black, 
long, slender, tapering and very neat in appearance: — Beak, 
black, or nearly so, slightly curved, sharp at the point and 
stout at the base. 
Comb, Wattles and Ear-lobes: Comb, red or dark pur- 
ple, single, small and thin, low in front, evenly serrated and 
perfectly erect and straight: — Wattles, red or dark purple, 
