260 
Chapter XXXI. 
CORNISH-INDIAN GAME. 
This now distinctly characteristic breed of Poultry has lately come to the front with giant strides, and is now 
extensively bred and exhibited throughout Great Britain, America, and Australia. Possibly no breed of 
Poultry yet introduced to the Australasian Colonies has awakened such enthusiasm among their admirers 
and the general public as the " Indian Game," the first importation being made by Mr. W. H. Goodman, 
Stockton, N.S.W., followed very shortly afterwards with another by Mr. G. O. Duncan, of Melbourne, 
Victoria, and among the more prominent of those who have so pluckily invested in the best stock 
procurable, and spent large sums of money in importing winning specimens from Great Britain, are the 
names of Messrs. C. Boggio, Melbourne, Victoria; W. H. Osbom, Parkside, Adelaide, S.A. ; H. 
Montgomerie Hamilton, Harold Cadell, and J. W. Pender, N.S.W., and it is solely due to the enterprise 
of such Fanciers that the breed now occupies such a foremost position in the ranks of our best 
and most valuable varieties of Domestic Poultry. Originally confined to the Counties of Cornwall 
and Devon (England), they were chiefly bred by the miners for pit purposes, though they never 
possessed the speed and striking power of the best old style British fighting stock. They were formerly 
known as Cornish Game, a name now generally superseded by that of " Indian Game," a misnomer, 
for it would more appropriately apply to the variety of Poultry commonly called Aseels. It is now recog- 
nised that they were the result of mating Aseels and Malays, but the perseverance of subsequent breeders 
has produced a race so superior in many ways that it now occupies one of the highest positions, both for 
Show and practical purposes, being remarkable for its superlative table properties, the beauty of its form and 
lustrous plumage, and its adaptability to all climates and surroundings. The first of these is, no doubt, their 
great recommendation to the Poultry Farmer, either pure or crossed with any other variety. They are 
scarcely excelled in this respect, and the chicks are extraordinarily hardy, easily reared, and grow at a good 
pace. The hens cannot be classed as good layers, but they are excellent sitters and mothers. 
In general appearance an Indian Game is a cobby, compact, symmetrical Fowl, very active and vigorous, 
with short, hard, and very lustrous, but' not scanty, plumage. The head is moderate in length, stout and 
thick ; the beak, strong and stout at the base ; the eyes are pearl or yellow in colour ; and the face has a 
very intelligent and fearless expression, without the beetling brow and cruel look of a Malay. The comb is 
pea, or triple, but the cocks are generally shown " dubbed " (that is, the comb, wattles, and deaf ears are 
removed by the aid of a pair of scissors), though some would much prefer to see them exhibited in the 
natural state, and there is no great obstacle to prevent breeding them with small, neat fitting combs, similar 
to the Brahma's. 
The cock's neck hackles are rather short, and of a rich glossy green-black, with a crimson coloured 
shaft, and narrow crimson centre to the feathers. (Fig. 78A, i). The breast is very deep, full, and well 
rounded, and of the brightest and glossiest greenish-black colour ; the shoulders broad, the shoulder-butts 
very prominent, and with great substance. The back is flat (but not hollow between the shoulder blades at 
the base of the neck), the whole body having a stout and compact appearance. The wings are short, well 
clipped up, and high at the shoulder-butts. The colour of the back, saddle, and saddle hackles are a mixture 
of glossy, greenish-black and brown crimson. The wing-bows glossy, greenish-black, slightly intermixed with 
crimson of a deep, dark shade. The wing-secondaries, when closed, a deep bay. The tail is carried 
slightly drooping ; the sickles and secondary sickles fairly narrow, rather short, and well curved, and of a 
sound, glossy, greenish-black colour ; the whole of the plumage being hard and close, and exceedingly 
lustrous. The beak is yellow, or yellow striped with horn ; the shanks and feet, a bright orange yellow. 
The hen is similar in shape to the cock, but in comparison, even more cobby and compact. The whole 
