The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
3 2 S 
farmstead, that it was difficult to distinguish from each other. All the hens were remarkably short 
in the leg, and purely white-footed ; yet, strange to say, the cocks bred from these hens were 
always too lengthy in the legs to be covetable as exhibition birds, but were perfectly clear silver 
in the hackle, and the breasts and tails iridescent black. These birds always bred true to colour 
among themselves ; but when crossed with other strains, in the hope to obtain shorter-legged 
cockerels, invariably ‘sported’ in feather. It was this leg difficulty as to the cocks (striven hardly 
and unsuccessfully against for many years) that, I believe, made Mr. Bromley a few years back 
abandon the breed altogether, a matter of regret to many amateurs, who knew the stock as seen 
when kept in large numbers on extensive runs, and which proved to me that Silver-grey Dorkings 
can be continuously bred true to feather from high-coloured parents ; whilst as to weight, even 
among the two-year-old hens, nine and ten pounds each was a general average.” 
A third expedient might perhaps be suggested. We believe that by allowing a clear black 
stripe in the cock’s hackle, while still maintaining the silvery white of the margins, the balance of 
colour between the sexes might probably be restored, without perhaps injuring the beauty of the 
male bird, and might enable black-breasted cocks to be bred from pale-breasted and light silvery 
hens. This, however, would be a decided innovation on the pure white hackle now demanded, 
and we only mention it as what our own experience teaches us might be a possible solution of the 
difficulty, without advising it in any way. As it is, we think the present state of things gives 
rise to more serious faults than a little clear stripe in the hackle would be. Recently, at the 
great shows of the year, we have observed prizes given to cocks which were not Silver-greys 
at all, the breasts not only being speckled and the thighs heavily grizzled, but tlie hackles a 
deep yellow ; and compared with such a fault as this last, we should consider even a striped 
hackle, if clear in colour, very venial. This, however, is a subject on which opinion may legiti- 
mately differ, and we simply place the suggestion at the service of breeders ; with the remark that 
by far the best way both to keep colour and attain weight, would be to recognise and prefer 
the darker hens so regretted by Mr. Hewitt, who in this matter it will be seen corroborates 
Mr. Cresswell exactly. No sacrifice in the purity of the grey need be made; it is simply the 
darker greys and deeper-coloured breasts that should be selected, when the cocks will be all 
that can be desired. 
The extreme difficulty of satisfying the stringent conditions just discussed is no doubt the 
reason of the comparatively small number of Silver-grey breeders ; as in all main qualities this 
variety is in no way inferior to the preceding, unless it be in size. In this respect it cannot 
certainly compare with the gigantic Coloured birds; but is fully as hardy, and by some judges, 
keener than we are in gastronomic matters, is thought to be even more juicy and tender in flesh. 
Of its great beauty there can be no doubt ; and size might very easily be improved by a little 
judicious crossing. Putting a fine large cockerel to the lightest Coloured Dorking hens which could 
be obtained, of the greyer type represented in Fig. 75, by far the greater portion of the progeny 
would present more or less of the Silver-grey character ; and by crossing these again back to the 
male parent, and proceeding afterwards with ordinary judgment, the improvement might readily be 
maintained without losing the colour. The two strains having been so many years bred apart, the 
strong probability is that constitution and vigour would be also improved by the same treatment. 
WHITE DORKINGS. — No more beautiful birds than these can well be imagined upon a 
country lawn. In symmetry the White variety surpasses, according to our judgment, all others of 
the Dorking breed, this fowl combining with the size of the Dorking much of the grace and grand 
sweeping outlines of the Hamburgh. In Dorking “blood” it is also probably the purest of them 
