- 6 ° The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
The back should be wide, and flat across, but very short, the saddle appearing to take its rise 
almost from the base of the neck. A round back is of course a great deformity, and so is want of 
width, a narrow bird being of very little value. The saddle must be very broad, and rise well 
towards the tail, without which there cannot be true symmetry and proportion. We have seen 
cocks with the back and saddle actually sloping downwards to the tail, which looks especially bad, 
being contrary to the haughty carriage so conspicuous in this breed. The saddle-feathers should 
be long and abundant, so as to flow well over the points of the wings. 
The proper tail of the Brahma cock is very peculiar, though it is very rare to see it 
approaching perfection. It has been variously described, but usually by saying that it should 
open out laterally, the sickles especially, “ like a fan.” By Mr. Teebay’s kindness, we were 
enabled to give a clear description of the Brahma tail as it used to be ; and since then we 
have seen it approached on several occasions, and have bred it ourselves, though it is not easy 
to produce, having been for a time nearly lost. “ The true inside tail,” he says, “ I like closed, 
except the two highest feathers (sometimes four used to be so). These should be very broad, 
and lay nearly or quite flat, not too long, and the ends turning outwards each way, and pro- 
jecting on each side through the carved or sickle-feathers. Such feathers are never seen except 
in tails set much more upright than most exhibited now. They were very subject to be broken in 
the exhibition baskets or pens, on account of their projecting through the other feathers. The 
whole inside tail spreading out, as was also often seen, I do not like. I have frequently noticed 
the feathers crossing in the lower part and re-crossing again higher up. When there are two 
pairs the higher pair is generally rather smaller, and they do not actually cross, though there 
is always a similar peculiar bend, which is, I believe, caused by their being set into the rump 
so near to each other, and growing together while the young quill is hardening.” A tail thus 
formed is very characteristic ; and it is remarkable not only how this feature resembles the 
tail of the black-cock, but that the head and pencilling should also show such analogies to 
the grouse family. 
The breast of the cock should be deep, full, broad, and rather projecting, the breast-bone 
being set well down between the thighs. The shoulders should be somewhat prominent, so as to 
make the back a little hollow between them when the bird stoops, and give a handsome proportion. 
The wings ought to be of medium size, and well tucked up, so as to make the bird look neat and 
trim. Disordered flights are a great blemish, and birds with any feathers actually twisted should 
be disqualified. The thighs should be well covered with fluff, though not quite so loose and downy 
as in the case of Cochins, and the hocks ought to be entirely and neatly covered with soft curling 
feathers. We are glad to see that bare legs are now quite discarded by judges, and we would 
ourselves prefer vulture-hocks to such a disgusting fault. The vulture-hock is, however, a great 
blemish undoubtedly, and none but an unusually good bird should win any prize when thus disfigured ; 
but only stiff feathers projecting so as to form a spur on the limb are to be so regarded, and soft curling 
feathers, however plentiful, are only a beauty to be desired. The shanks should be of moderate 
length, and feathered as heavily as possible, down to the ends of both outer and middle toes. Too 
short shanks in the cock look decidedly bad, but it is rather hard to fail in this respect. The shank- 
feather should “ stand out ” well, not take a perpendicular direction, else it does not show properly. 
We have frequently seen both the inner and back toes feathered in the case of hocked birds, and we 
once ourselves bred a bird perfectly free from hock which was thus furnished, and have known pullets 
also present this peculiarity. On the other hand, some very heavily-feathered birds have the middle 
toe bare ; and while this is not desirable, 'they are not therefore to be discarded. We need scarcely 
say that the thicker the shanks are the better. Very large cocks are generally somewhat long in 
