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Chapter XXXIII. 
ASEEL GAME. 
The Aseel, or Tme Indian Game Foivl, is at once striking, and of strongly marked characteristics. The 
best strains are possessed of indomitable courage, strength, and endurance. The breed has a ' style ' 
peculiarly its own, exhibiting an almost incessant restlessness, accompanied by a weaving to and fro kind of 
motion of the head and neck. They are the most quarrelsome and pugnacious (both cocks and hens) of all 
Game Fowli, and, unless separated, will fight to the death. It is this quarrelsome disposition which prevents 
many Fanciers taking up the breed. There is no possibility of keeping even two hens together in a confined 
space, as at times, without the slightest provocation, one will bully and thrash the other, and once they see 
blood, they thirst for more, and rarely leave off till one is killed. There are but few pure specimens now to 
be found in the Colonies ; but we have seen them some years back in great numbers, being bred from some 
importations from Bengal (India). 
The breed was first imported from India to Great Britain by Sir George Gilbert, over sixty years ago, 
and were known as " Indian Game." They were crossed with the Pheasant Malay, at that time the latter 
variety being quite common in Cornwall, and it is thus surmised that the breed now known as Laced 
Cornish-Indian Game was produced. The name was changed at a later date to Aseel— an Arabic word, 
denoting " thorough-bred " — in order to distinguish them from the cross-bred birds, which usurped the name 
" Indian Game." There are many specimens found in India, of various colours, such as Reds, Greys, 
Browns, and Spangles, more or less laced, and we know of one noted Pit strain in this country called the 
" Scutty " Fowls, the hens of which to this day pi esent the lacing in a more or less degree, though they have 
been crossed and re-crossed with various fighting strains, quite alien to the original stock. 
There is no Fowl that handles so amazingly hard, their appearance being very deceptive as to their 
actual weight. The true type is very low set on the leg, the head erect, the body from shoulder to tail 
showing a good incline, the tail carried in a drooping position, but not whipped up, or carried closely 
together, but rather full than otherwise, appearing somewhat similar to a small, narrow, inverted scoop. The 
plumage varies considerably. No fixed Standard of colour is found even amongst the purest strains, and it is 
an old truism that a good Aseel cannot be a bad colour. The most prominent characteristic of the breed is 
the comb, which, as a rule, is pea or triple, though, occasionally, a knobby, or Malay-like, comb is found.* 
The head is short, broad, and rather round ; the eyebrows slightly overhanging the eyes, the latter being 
sunken ; the beak short, stout, very wide at the base, and well curved. The cock's neck hackle bunches just 
below the back of the neck, finishing off very quickly, the points scarcely reaching between the shoulders ; 
back, very wide at the shoulders, short, and finishing off quickly to the stern ; shoulders, high and square, 
and with great substance ; breast, hard, full, and prominent ; legs, set very wide apart, the breast-bone well 
covered with hard, solid flesh, the bird being almost straight across the breast from thigh to thigh when held 
in the hand ; thighs, short, thick, and of great muscular development ; legs and beak, mostly bright 
yellow ; the shanks and toes, short, stout, and well scaled. In this breed the back, or hind toe is much 
shorter in comparison with any other variety of Poultry. The hen is similar to the cock in every respect, 
making allowance for difference in sex. As layers, the hens are very poor, probably the worst in the Poultry 
kingdom ; but as a Table Fowl the breed is an easy first, if mere size of carcase is not considered.! 
* We are inclined to doubt the purity of an Aseel with a Malay comb. 
t Mr. Tegetineier that most rigorous of Table Fowl Judges, asserts that " The Aseel, or true Indian Fi^'hting Cock, is, perhaps, the most plump 
?nd meaty bird that exist?." 
