3 °° 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
“ Mr. Douglas’ advice as to the mating of Black-reds is so very sound and practical, that 
nothing further need be added on that breed. 
Brown-reds the fashion has quite changed from the dark shades described on pages 290-1 
in favour of the laced-breasted lemons. We will therefore describe the more modern bird, which 
we certainly think a great improvement on the old style. In the laced-breasted lemon Brown-reds, 
then, the cock should be as follows : — Beak, black ; face, the darkest gipsy, i.e., purplish-black ; 
eyes, the darkest shade of brown, in fact, the more nearly black the better ; feet and shanks, the 
darkest olive, or nearly black ; head and neck-hackle, bright lemon, striped with black (see 
illustrations, Fig. 71, which are not only life-like, but as perfect to-day as when they were drawn); 
back and saddle-hackles, wing-bow and shoulder coverts, all bright lemon, with black fluff and 
centre, as in Fig. 71 ; breast, rich black, distinctly and evenly laced with gold all round the feather 
down to the fluff, and with a golden shaft to each feather. This lacing should extend from the 
throat well down to the thighs ; the rest of the under feathers black ; tail, greenish-black ; shoulder 
butts and flight coverts and secondaries, greenish-black. 
“ The hen to match the above must correspond with him in colour of face, eyes, beak, legs, and 
feet, and must have the greenest-black body colour, back, wings, and tail, with a green-black breast, 
lightly and evenly laced with gold generally preferred (although birds without the lacing on breast 
sometimes win) ; hackle, rich black, each feather well edged with bright lemon, the colour extending 
well over the head, giving it a golden or brassy appearance. 
“ The birds above described breed cockerels and pullets very true to feather, although there 
will be some pullets with the addition of a fine golden edge to the feathers on back and wing-bow. 
These laced pullets generally breed the brightest and best coloured cocks. 
“ The next most fashionable colour of Brown-reds corresponds exactly with the above descrip- 
tion, only substituting rich orange for the lemon. These orange-coloured Brown-reds are frequently 
rather shorter and harder-feathered than the lemons, which, as a rule, have rather too much feather. 
After them come the colours described by Mr. Douglas, reversing the order of his Nos. 1 and 2 
favourites, which are still to be seen, and frequently beating the lemons by their size and hardness. 
“ Red faces in Brown-reds are now considered quite old-fashioned, the dark gipsy face giving a 
harder appearance. This shade varies in the same bird just as he varies in condition from time 
to time ; and sometimes a bird in low condition looks only purplish-red, which, when in high 
condition, has a very dark purple face inclining to black, and quite without artificial assistance. 
“ In Duckwing Game there has also been a ehange or modification in the fashion, and an 
improvement, as predicted by Mr. Douglas. A Golden Duckwing cock must now, in order to be 
called first-class, have a clear golden-coloured back and wing-bow and shoulder coverts, instead 
of the maroon straw and claret described by Mr. Douglas ; and he must have willow legs, as any 
other colour would not now pass muster. Greater stress, too, is now placed on the colour of the 
Duckwing hen’s head ; it must be a light silver-grey, and correspond with the hackles ; a brownish 
cap on the hen is a great blemish, though often seen, from the too free use of Black-red crosses. 
“ Mr. Douglas’ remarks about the breeding of Duckwings are still sound and excellent, 
although many breeders do not now approve of the Black-red cross so frequently for producing 
Duckwing pullets. My own opinion is, that once in six years is quite sufficient to keep up hardness 
of feather, and more than sufficient for retaining standard colours. 
“Mr. Douglas’ description of the Silver-grey Duckwing, or S.lver Birchen Grey, applies to a 
variety almost extinct even at the time of his writing (as hinted editorially in a former edition), and 
not to the bird generally known as the Silver Duckwing, which is a pure breed, as proved by its 
breeding true to feather without any cross whatever, even for twenty years or more. It is the founda- 
