X 
GLOSSARY. 
Self-color,— An uniform tint over the feather. 
Shaft. — The stem or quill part of a feather. 
Shank, — The lower and scaly joint of the leg'. 
Sickles. — The long, curved feathers of a cock's tail, — proper- 
ly applied, only, to the top pair, but sometimes used for one 
or two pairs besides. 
Spangling. — The marking produced by a large spot or splash 
on each feather, differing with that of the ground-color. 
Spur. — The sharp defensive weapon on the heel of a cock. 
Squirrel-tailed, — The tail projecting in front of a perpen- 
dicular line over the back. 
Stag. — A term used for a young cock ; chiefly used by Game 
Fanciers. 
Station. — An ideal standard for games, embodied in style and 
symmetri/. 
Strain. — A race of fowls that has been carefully bred by one 
breeder, or his successors, for a number of j^ears, and has ac- 
quired an individual character of its own. 
Symmetry. — Perfection of proportion; — often confounded 
with carriage, but quite distinct, as a bird may be nearly 
perfect in his proportions, and yet carrj'" himself awkwardly. 
Tail-coverts. — The sofb, glossy, curved feathers at the sides of 
the lower part of the tail, — usually of the same color as the 
tail itself. 
Tail-feathers, — The straight and stiff feathers of the tail 
only; — the top pair are sometimes slightly curved, but they are, 
generally, nearly if not quite straiglit, and are contained in- 
side the sickles and tail-coverts. 
Thighs,— The joints above the shanks,— the same as the 
drum-sticks in dressed fowls. 
Top-knot. — Same as crest. 
Trio, — A cock or cockerel, and two hens or pullets. 
Under-color.— The color of the plumage seen when the sur- 
face has been lifted. It is manifested chiefly in the down seen 
about the roots of the feathers. 
