246 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
cock or cockerel of their strain, hens of any value would not be parted with, old cockers recognising that 
upon the hen, to an extraordinary extent in the breeding of True Game Fowls, the size, courage, shape, 
and stamina of the cockerels depended. 
By this system of selection being pursued for such a length of time, the game to the death characteristic 
of a strain was kept up to the highest standard. The old-time hens were wonderfully smart-looking birds, 
the majority of them spurred, neat and blood-like about the head, with such bright, fiery eyes, broad 
shoulders, wedge-shaped, narrow-sterned bodies, their wings prominent, ready to be used in an instant ! their 
tails large and expanded, legs fine in bone, rather short, with very muscular thighs — and they could fight like 
cofks. Hardness of flesh and feather were prime considerations in either sex. 
Within the past forty years the Game Fowl, as exhibited at Poultry Shows, has undergone a complete 
metamorphosis ; but a reaction has now set in, and the old style of Fowl is (juickly being resuscitated. The 
old stamp of Game Fowl is a far superior table bird to the modern production — a better forager, the hens 
are superior layers, and the breed is of much hardier constitution. There is such a wide distinction between 
this old stamp of British Fowl and the modern production, that virtually there is no atlinity between them, 
and it was, no doubt, owing solely to the conservatism of the breeders of the original Game Fowl that they 
were partially neglected by the various Poultry Societies. This has now been all changed, the breed being 
Reproduced from "The Feathered World." 
Duckwing. White. Black- Breasted Red. 
British Game of 1853. 
offered classes at the principal Shows throughout England and Australia, with the result that in the former 
country they are now gradually superseding their distant relations in point of numbers and public estimation, 
and the Australasian Colonies will, presumably, follow suit. They are bred in a much greater variety of 
colours than the modern production, but have the one uniformity of type and carriage. The breed is 
classified as Reds, (ireys. Piles, Duns, Blacks, Whites, and Various. 
For some years past many breeders gave up the production of the old stamp of Fowl for that of the 
new, devoting their energies to the production of the longer and narrower headed, longer necked, shorter 
feathered, smaller tailed, longer limbed, reachy, stylish Exhibition birds of the present day. But, at the 
same lime, there were a few true Fanciers who still cultivated the original type, and effectually saved them 
from total extinction, which at one time seemed imminent. For many generations they were bred solely for 
the cockpit, but the old stamp of British Fighting Game has greater value than their mere fighting propensi- 
ties, or their Exhibition qualities. They are indisputably the finest table Fowl known, though rather small in 
size. They carry little or no offal, and have more breast meat than other birds twice their size. The hens 
