Cuckoo Dorkings. 
33 * 
prospect ot success ; several White Dorkings of unusual size and merit being very conspicuous, 
besides the famous Coloured stock. Unfortunately, that particular experiment was terminated by 
Lady Holmesdale’s retirement from “the fancy” soon after; but at the public sale by auction of 
her celebrated strain its success was fully demonstrated, several White Dorkings of very unusual 
size being brought to the hammer. One fine bird in particular, Mr. Martin informs us, weighed 
slightly over twelve pounds, and not being at all fat, might easily have been made to weigh 
thirteen. This bird won at very nearly all the great winter shows following, standing clearly out 
far above his competitors ; and probably the influence of even the few birds then sold has had 
something to do with the perceptible increase of size during late years. 
In the cross at Linton Park we are informed that “the method employed was to put a massive 
Coloured cock, the darkest that could be spared, to White Dorking hens. The first cross from 
this is cuckoo-colour ; and these birds were crossed again into the White, when many White birds 
appeared, and after that there is no difficulty.” The reason for choosing the darkest cock possible 
was, that in all changes of colour the transition from black to white is invariably made with 
greater ease than any other, just as crossing Black-red and White Game produces a Pile, the red 
being unchanged, but the black converted into white. Some years later we learnt from Mr. 
Martin that he carried out the same experiment again, using for the purpose his celebrated Crystal 
Palace rose-combed prize bird ; and amongst the results soon attained was a fine cockerel, which 
at eight months old scaled ten pounds and a half without any “ feeding up ” whatever. Such 
fruits as these point out a legitimate field for the skill and enterprise of White Dorking breeders. 
The result of many inquiries we have made would tend to show that White Dorkings are 
somewhat hardier than the Coloured, besides being far better layers. A contrary opinion has, 
however, led to their being crossed in various cases with the White Game ; and there is not the 
slightest doubt that it is this cross which has produced some at least of the weedy birds so often 
seen at shows. Such stocks not seldom breed single combs, and are apt to prove uncertain about 
the fifth toe ; indeed, whenever we see very narrow, slim-looking birds, with the fifth toe imperfectly 
developed, we feel pretty sure the strain has been contaminated in the manner described. The 
motive has no doubt been to improve the constitution ; but the Game Fowl does not possess a 
single quality adapting it for improving the Dorking breed ; and if the chicks be brought up in 
a natural and hardy manner they will be as robust as any Game-crossed stock. The cross just 
described, however, will be found to improve the constitution as well as size. 
The greatest difficulty in breeding White Dorkings for show consists in the tendency of the 
cocks to become yellow or dirty straw-colour in the upper plumage, which they share in common 
with nearly all white fowls. As in the case of White Cochins, it is necessary to breed only from 
the birds which show the richest and clearest white ; and to provide shade during the summer, if 
even the best birds are to be kept in show condition. We have, however, occasionally seen cocks 
whose dazzling purity of colour left nothing to be desired ; and though we must admit that we 
have found such specimens very rare, they prove the possibility of attaining a perfect standard with 
patience and care. 
CUCKOO DORKINGS. — There is a fourth variety of Dorkings, in which the plumage is 
what is called in England “ Cuckoo-colour,” but in America “ Dominique,” and which may be 
exactly seen in the plate of Dominiques which illustrates the chapter on American breeds. The 
marking consists of bars or pencillings of dark blue-grey over a ground of lighter grey. The 
precise shade of marking may vary considerably, the ground-colour ranging from almost white to 
bluish-grey, and the bars or pencilling from bluish-grey to nearly black. This variety is generally 
