Description of Partridge Cochins. 
2 1 7 
ago by the Rev. Mr. Marsh, of Massachusetts ; so good and pure, in fact, was his strain, that birds 
are still to be found descended from it, which it is believed have never been crossed. 
The Partridge Cochin cock should be a rich and rather orange red about the head, and hackle 
the same, with a black stripe down the middle of each feather, the saddle-feathers being similar. 
The back, shoulder-coverts, and wing-bow are rich red of a rather darker shade, the lower wing- 
coverts being glossy black, with blue or green reflections, forming a “ bar ” across the wing. The 
primary or flight quill-feathers should be black, with an edging of rich brown or bay on the lower 
edge ; secondaries, bay on outer edges, and black on the inner, each feather being metallic black 
on the end, so as to form a black edge about an inch wide on the upper side of the wing-butts, 
and forming a rich background under the tips of the saddle-hackles. The breast, thighs, under- 
parts, tail, and leg-feathers should be rich black in an exhibition bird ; white in the tail or brown 
in the breast or thighs being objectionable. The shanks should be dusky yellow, a shade of red 
between the scales being rather a recommendation than otherwise. 
The Partridge hen has a hackle of rich gold colour, densely striped down the middle with 
black, the remainder of the plumage being light brown, pencilled over with very dark brown (see 
feathers on page 221), the pencilling following the outline of the feather. According to the old 
“ Standard of Excellence,” the feathers on the wings and sides should show the shafts of a rich 
creamy-white, forming a white streak down the centre of each feather ; but both the judges and 
the best fanciers have for years shown a strong objection to this, and a decided preference for a 
solid pencilling all over the body, somewhat resembling that of the Dark Brahma. This colour was 
formerly known as “ grouse,” while the older style, with its finer pencilling and white shaft, is 
undoubtedly most like “partridge” marking. Some who still admire the partridge type, but object 
to the white shaft, have kept and bred for the old minute marking without that defect, and most of 
what may be called the old-style hens now shown are of this class. The most important point, 
however, is that the breast up to the very throat be solidly and densely pencilled over with 
crescent-shaped markings, a bare yellow or clayey breast being absolute disqualification if the 
competition be at all severe. In a high-class hen, the marking on the breast is very nearly like 
that on the back and sides. The purer the brown colour of the ground the better ; and any 
approach to a yellow ground is in exact proportion a decided fault, though we have sometimes seen 
it justly condoned for unusual accuracy or beauty of pencilling. Legs dusky yellow. With regard 
to the leg-feathering, a comparison with the original “ Standard of Excellence ” (the first ever 
prepared), drawn up for the first and long since defunct Poultry Club, shows a considerable change 
in breeding since it was prepared, Mr. Tegetmeier’s “ Standard ” stating that this feather should 
be “brown,” whereas in all good hens now the leg-feather should be brown pencilled over precisely 
as on the body. The fluff also exhibits distinct pencilling upon the majority of the best birds, 
but this is not so essential. 
Grouse Cochins are now merely darker Partridge (or rather, perhaps, the new style of 
Partridge is become lighter Grouse), though when the older style was bred in the Partridges 
there was a decided difference, the Grouse having always been bred with solid markings free 
from any streak. The colour of the hen’s hackle in Grouse birds is richer, approaching a reddish 
gold. In some hens lately shown, the pencillings have been so broad and black as to be quite a 
new type still, which we consider false to the breed, and do not admire. 
The following remarks upon Partridge Cochins are by the late Mr. E. Tudman, of Ashgrove, 
Whitchurch, Salop, formerly a regular prize-taker with this fine variety ; and are rather remark- 
able as showing the opinion of so long and experienced an admirer with regard to the great 
difficulty of breeding it to anything really like perfection 
T 
