164 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
both the Coloured and Silver-Grey are descended from the one common ancestry, being bred in much 
the same manner as the Dark and Light varieties of the Brahma Fowl, selecting for the perpetuation of the 
species those of the darkest shade of colour in the one, and those of the lighter in the other. It is rare, 
however, to find the Silver-Grey approaching the immense size of the Coloured variety, though the former 
breed absolutely true to colour for generations. The Coloured variety, on the other hand, receiving aid from 
some other cross, the infusion of fresh or alien blood has done much towards increasing size and stamina, 
though a loss in feather properties is the inevitable result. The colour of the Silver-Grey cock is— head, 
neck hackle, back, saddle hackle, shoulder coverts, wing-bow, and secondaries, silvery white ; wing-bar, steel 
blue ; breast, thighs, and tail black, with a greenish sheen on the feathers ; though it is extremely 
difficult to find a bird, after the first moult, that does not exhibit some white or grizzled feathers in the 
breast. The hen, to match, should be of a beautiful uniform French-grey, or pale slate-coloured ground 
colour on back and wings, minutely and evenly pencilled with black ; there should not be the slightest 
approach to brownish or ruddy-coloured marking on the sides of the wings ; the shafts of the feathers on the 
wings, however, exhibit a lighter or paler shade ; the neck hackle should be silvery-white, with a white shaft 
to the featlier, and on each side of the shaft a bold black stripe, becoming more pronounced towards the 
bottom of the hackle (Fig. 68); the breast should be a sound warm salmon-colour, with shafts of a lighter or 
paler shade ; the salmon-colour extends well down on to the front of the thighs, gradually merging into an 
Fig. 68.— Hackle Feather of Silver-Grey Dorking Hen. 
ashy-grey on the belly and underparts. Though the Silver-Grey Dorkings, as previously stated, will breed 
true to feather, this is only certain if the pedigree of the birds is known— as in many instances a purchased 
specimen may, to all appearances, be an ideal Silver-Grey ; yet, on crossing into another strain, the progeny 
will sport and the cockerels turn out grizzled on breast and thighs, and heavily ticked in hackle, so, there- 
fore, it is compulsory, if feather properties are desired, that inbreeding must be resorted to, and, in all prob- 
ability, once breeding back and in again will rectify matters. 
White Dorkings. — These are considered by those most competent to offer an opinion, as being 
the purest-blooded of the whole family. This is borne out, to a great extent, by the established 
fact that this variety, without exception, never fails in breeding the fifth toe, and invariably possesses 
the true Dorking shape and carriage. They are, without doubt, the most beautiful and aristocratic 
in appearance of the whole tribe ; the glossiness and purity of their plumage are proverbial, and 
the rose comb sets them off to great advantage. The whites are considered good layers, and the best 
of all table poultry. Their eggs are a delicate pinky white shade, and of good size, and as winter 
layers the hens are better than the other varieties. It is also a recognised fact that the White Dorkings are 
hardier in constitution than either the Coloured or Silver-Grey, and if the chickens are reared in a 
natural and hardy manner, they are as hardy and robust as other poultry. A great difficulty to overcome 
