132 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
sides. To mate with hens which fail in tliroat markings, the cock should be darker in front than behind — 
that is, he should be fairly sound in breast, but with saddle hackles lightly streaked, and the fluff behind 
well pencilled ; but, on the other hand, where the hens fail in marking on cushion, the cock's saddle and tail 
coverts must be excei)tionally well marked, and the breast have much 7norc white lacing, or spotting, than the 
former bird. Again, however, a male bird from an established dark blue-grey strain will breed good stock 
from any one of the various shades of hens ; but as the different shades are so hard for a novice to 
determine, a better guide would be to note the colour of the hens or pullets from the same yards. If there 
should be a wide difference between them and those of his own, the cross would be too sudden, and, 
probably, recourse to breeding in and in would have to be resorted to to gain the characteristics that would, 
with almost an absolute certainty be lost, if either strain were crossed. Another point in breeding either of 
the sexes in Brahmas is to place great stress on the quality and size of the comb, which should be as small 
and neat as possible, as, if this point is neglected, the stock will ciuickly lose one of the breed's most 
important characteristics. 
Brahma chickens, the cockerels especially, are very ungainly and awkward when about half-grown ; but, 
as a well-established fact, the more gawky and ungainly a cockerel is at this stage the better bird he will turn 
out when fully developed, the tail especially taking a very long time to arrive at full development. The 
chickens of the Light Variety change considerably in their plumage between the ages of three and seven 
Fig. 64.— Breast Feathers of Dark Brahma Cocks for breeding Pullets. 
months old, generally showing black feathers where not wanted in the fluff of the cockerels, and on the 
backs and cushions of the pullets in their earlier stages. This, however, may in most cases be depended 
upon to moult out while attaining adult plumage, so on no consideration should be discarded at this early 
age for this seeming defect. The chickens of the Dark Variety also undergo the same transition in plumage. 
Often the cockerels exhibit a lot of brown on the wings. These should not be discarded, though in their 
case the purer the bird is in the first feathers the better bird he will turn out. Very streaky and dark-coloured 
pullets may, however, safely be condemned, more especially if any patches of white or brown feathers 
appear ; but pullets a little pale in breast will often develop the beautiful pencilling so much desired as the 
bird attains adult plumage, that these are worth keeping, though at the same time the best birds in the 
future, always exhibit the pencilling on the first feathers. Birds that are, while young, adorned with large or 
mis-shapen combs may with perfect safety be discarded. 
For the following interesting and valuable notes on the Brahma Fowl we are indebted to Mr. W. C. 
Forster, of Coward Street, North Botany, N.S.AV. Our esteemed contributor's success as a breeder and 
exhibitor of the Asiatic varieties is beyond dispute. Mr. Forster writes : — 
" In giving you these notes on Brahmas I will try to be as brief and concise as possible, 
though at the same time a great deal might be written about their origin and the many and various 
stages the breed has passed through to bring them to their present high state of perfection. When 
I slate I will be brief, I mean to give only the practical information gained by breeding the 
