128 The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
secondary wing feathers. It is the tail, however, which is the most unique characteristic, though rarely ever 
seen in anything approaching perfection. It is best described as follows : The true or inner feathers of tail 
are moderately venetianed, with the exception of the top two, which should be very broad, and open out 
laterally, or ftrked, projecting through the curved sickle feathers, the latter, at times also follow this shape. 
The breast should be full, deep, and broad, and carried rather prominendy. The shoulders should be 
moderately high, and slightly prominent, showing a depression between the shoulders at the base of the 
neck when the bird lowers his head to eat. The wings should be short, and well tucked up. The thighs 
should be well furnished with soft, curling feathers, neither fluffy nor loose, nor stiff and projecting. The 
shanks should be of fair length, strong, stout, and well covered with feathers, the latter extending 
down to the ends of the centre and outer toes. The feathers of the shanks and toes should stand out well. 
The hen in shape and carriage sliould correspond with the cock, making allowance for the difference of sex. 
The hen's head l)cing particularly small and neat, her neck shorter in proportion to the cock, the hackle very 
full and spreading at the base, the back wide, flat, and short, finishing off with a moderately-developed 
cushion, which latter should rise right up to the tail, the tail being almost upright at the top. The other 
feathers composing the tail should -ra dually jiroject out, each one a trifle more than the other, beginning at 
ReproducecVJrota " Tenet nider's Poultry Book." 
Light Brahmas of 1852. 
the top, the bottom feathers thus being further behind. The wings of the hen should be short and neat, and 
well tucked in closely to the body, the ends being nearly buried in the cushion above and the fluff below. 
Breast, broad, deep, and very full ; the fluff, full and abundant, and stand well out, and she should 
be short legged. 
Colour of Light Brah.mas. 
Cock. — The head of the cock should be white, the hackle silvery white, each feather having a distinct 
black stripe down the centre. The shoulder coverts, wing-bow, back, breast, thighs and underparts should be 
white on the surface ; but the fluff, or under-feather, right down to the skin is a dull grey. The wing 
secondaries are white on the outer web, and black on the inner web ; the wing primaries, or flight feathers, 
black. The saddle feathers should be white, slightly striped with black in the centre of the upper and 
lower feathers. The tail coverts, glossy greenish black, the lower tail coverts being edged with silvery white. 
The two top sickle feathers should be glossy greenish black, finely edged right round the feather with silvery 
white, the true tail glossy greenish black. Beak, a rich yellow, with or without a dark stripe ; legs and feet, 
bright yellow. Hen. — The head of the hen should be pure white, the neck hackle also pure silvery white, 
each feather distinctly and broadly striped with dense black in the centre, ending clear and sharp at the 
