250 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
Silver-Duckwings, ^'ellow-Birchens, Yellow cr (Jolden-Duckwings, Smock-Breasted Bloodwing-Piles, Streaky- 
Breasted Piles, Marble-Breas'ed Spangle-Piles, Ginger-Breasted Yellow-Piles, Duns, Blacks, \\'hites, Cuckoos, 
Hennies, Muffs, and lassells, in order named. 
The Black-Breasted Reds with white legs are generally known as the Derby strain, but the true Deiby 
birds had invariably grey eyes and an admixture of white in the plumage. For the Show pen any white in 
plumage is objectionable, and red eyes are preferred. The peculiarity of this breed is that the hackles of 
the cocks are bright red above and zvhite beneath, showing white when the feathers are trimmed for the Pit. 
They are rather small 1 irds, the cocks averaging 5)4 lbs., the hens 4^4 lbs. The legs of the I reed are t£'/«V^, 
with a pinky shade down the sides of the shanks ; the toe nails white, and the beak white, or faintly striped 
with horn colour. 
The Black-Breasted Light-Reds with yel/otu legs have red eyes, and for the Show pen the cock should be 
perfectly black in breast, and the top colours of the body, bright and glossy ; the wing-bars blue-black and 
distinctly defined, the secondary feathers of the wing being a bright bay. The hens to match are of a 
Partridge colour for the Show pen, but the wheaten hens are sometimes used to keep up the bright colours in 
breeding the cockerels. There is a sub-variety of this colour which have the breast feathers in the cocks 
edged with brown, and often the wing-bar is brown. These are called Shady-Breasted Bright-Reds, and 
generally are a heavier class of birds than the first-mentioned. 
The Black-Breasted Light-Reds with dark, willow, or carp legs breed exceptionally true to colour. The 
hens are of a sound Partridge, quite free from red or rusty markings on the sides of the wings, and are most 
favoured in the Southern and Midland Counties of England, whereas the white and yellow legged birds are 
more esteemed in the North. The colours of this strain are very clear, bright, and distinct. 
The True Black-Reds are considered to be absolutely the purest strain of Game Fowls known ; and, 
whereas the above-named fashionable varieties are of various hues, ranging from the darkest red to the 
brightest orange, this breed has but two colours in its composition — that, as the name implies, black and red. 
The hackles, back, wing-bows, and shoulder-coverts are a deep, clear, vivid dark red, free front any black on 
the surface, but black at the roots of the feathers, while the breast, thighs, belly, tail, wing-bars, primary and 
secondary wing feathers should be pure black. The brocd hen to match a cock of this colour should be a 
wij ^/rtf^ Paitridge colour, with bright red, coppery hackle above, black beneath, brick-breasted, and the 
same colour underneath to the tail. In both sexes the eye, beak, legs, and feet are black, and the face, comb, 
ear-lobes, and wattles the darkest or purplish colour known as " gipsy face." The Black-Breasted Dark-Reds 
are evidently a sub-variety of the above. The eyes, beak, and legs are dark, but not quite black : the hackle 
being striped with black, in other points agreeing with the True Black-Reds. 
The Streaky-Breasted Ginger-Reds differ from the former in having the wing-bars of a bay colour instead 
of black ; the breast of the cock is also streaked with brown, and the hackles a ginger or duller red. The 
hens are of a reddish colour throughout. The eyes of both sexes red, yellow, or pearl, and legs yellow. 
The Brown-Breasted Brown-Reds are, after the Black-Breasted Reds, the most popular colour. The 
cock should be a rich brown in breast, hackle, shoulders, and saddle ; tail and secondaries black, the hackle 
striped with black. There is also a sub-variety of this breed, known as Brown-Breasted Orange-K&ds. These 
are orange in hackles, back, shoulders, and saddle, each feather striped in the centre with black ; also 
another sub-variety, known as Brown-Breasted Dark-Reds. These are dark red in hackle, etc. The breast 
colours of these birds are various, such as brown or copper breasted, others streaky, and others laced ; but 
these all differ from the True Brown-Breasted Brown-Reds. The hens to match are very dark brown or even 
black throughout, with the exception of the hackle, which is dark golden colour, well striped with blacL 
These birds should have gipsy faces, i.e., dark purplish ; black beaks, eyes, legs, and feet. 
The Black-Breasted Dark-Greys are similar in marking to the True Black-Reds, and are better known as 
Birchen-Greys. The hens to match are dark in body colour, with greyish hackles, striped with black. 
The Mealy-Breasted Mealy-Greys are nearly white in breast, without spots or streaks ; dark eyes, black 
legs, close-feathered and short-hackled, standing, as a rule, loftier than the other varieties. 
