STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE. 
39 
Back: Eich, dark red, rather short, flat, broad across the 
shoulders, and narrowing to the tail,— the stern slender and 
neat, and the saddle-feathers very short and close, and, in color, 
rich red. 
Breast and Body: Breast, broad and full, and a rich black, 
free from any admixture of red, or any other color: — Body, 
very firm and muscular, not soft or hollow on the sides, broad- 
est at the shoulders and tapering towards the tail ; the under- 
part 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 : the primaries bay on 
the outside web, and black on the inside web — the secondaries 
a rich, clear, bright bay on the outside web, and black on the 
inside web, with a rich metallic or greenish-black spot on the 
ends of the feathers: wing-butts, black: wing-bows, rich, dark 
red, perfectly free from black feathers : wing-coverts, metallic 
or greenish-black, forming a wide bar across the wings, per- 
fectly even and well defined, and not irregular on the edges. 
Tail: Rich black, of medium length, carried well together, 
and at a moderate elevation ; sickle-feathers and tail-coverts a 
very rich metallic or greenish-black. 
Legs and Feet: Thighs, black, rather long, round, stout, 
hard and firm, and placed well forward on the body : — Slianks, 
in color, willow, olive, yellow, w^hite or blue, 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 touching with the points, or duck-footed. 
Hardness of Feather: Body-feathers, short, glossy, 
close, hard and firm; — quills, very hard and strong. 
