STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE. 
25 
Neck: Short, and well curved : — hackle, full, abundant, and 
flowing well over the shoulders; in color, rich red, or orange- 
red, with a distinct black stripe down the middle of each feather. 
Back: — Broad, with a gentle rise from the middle thereof to 
the tail, with saddle-feathers very abundant, rich red, or ora-^ge- 
red in color, with a black stripe down the middle of each 
feather. 
Breast and Body: Breast, deep, broad and full, and, in 
color, rich, deep black: — Body, broad, deep and round, and the 
under-plumage deep black. 
Wings: Small, the primaries well folded under the second- 
aries, so as to be entirely concealed wlien the wings are closed, — 
the primaries have a bay edging on the outside web, and 
dark on the inside web, — the secondaries a rich bay on the out- 
side web, black on the inside w^eb, with a greenish-black end 
to each feather, — wing-coverts, greenish-black, forming a wide 
bar across the wings. 
Tail: Broad, short, soft and full, the coverts, being numer- 
ous, and carried more horizontally than upright: — the color 
should be glossy black, without any white at the base of the 
feathers; such development, however, though highly objection- 
able, is not a disqualification: — the greater tail-coverts are 
bronzy-black, the lesser coverts black, or black edged with red. 
Fluff: Very abundant and soft, covering the posterior por- 
tions of the fowl, standing out about the thighs, and in color, 
black. • 
Legs: Thighs, very large and strong, and plentifully covered 
with perfectly soft feathers, which on the lower part should 
curve inward around the hock, so as nearly to hide the joint: — 
Shanks, yellow, or dusky-yellow, short, stout, wide apart, and 
heavily feathered down the outsides, with black feathers: — 
Toes, straight, strong and well spread, the outer and middle 
toes being well feathered. 
Carriage: Upright and stately. 
