The Illustrated Book of Poll try. 
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upon the views we have already advanced as to the absolute necessity for arbitrary standards of 
some kind in judging fowls or other animals. At first they were very greatly judged by weight, and 
the evils of that system were plainly seen in those over-fattened birds we have already alluded to. 
By degrees these evils were discovered ; but as soon as “ condition ” began to have more import- 
ance allowed it in comparison with mere weight, the appearance of the bird came into the scale, and 
the handsome appearance of the dark birds gave them a sensible advantage over the grey pens, 
besides the fact of Mr. Douglas’s new dark stock being almost always really larger than the old.* 
Thus by degrees, no doubt, the eyes of the judges became accustomed to prefer the darker strains, 
which has now made it rather difficult for lighter birds to win, and nearly impossible for hens 
irregularly splashed or coloured, or which otherwise present an unpleasing appearance. Within the 
last few years, however, the natural result of this preference for dark colour in one direction has led 
to yet another reaction. The dark colour gradually led to dark legs, and this fault, after being 
treated for a time with greater and greater leniency, at last evoked an angry protest. It is to be 
regretted that too much of this bore something of the aspect of a personal attack upon one or two 
prominent and successful exhibitors, and accusations both against them and the judges were made 
with a wantonness and bitterness of feeling for which there was and is no warrant. As in nearly 
all cases where any such feeling is displayed, the cause of it was in the present case an invincible 
ignorance of historic facts. It was said, on the one hand, that the old Coloured Dorking was “ pure,” 
whereas it is as certain as can be that it owes its origin to a cross of the white upon the fowls of 
Surrey and Sussex, and bred (as late as the “ mania” of 1851) with the most charming uncertainty. 
It was also said that its flesh was always “ white,” whereas the oldest testimony is that it resembled 
“ ivory.” On the other hand, the dark legs were affirmed to be due to Cochin “crosses ;” whereas 
it is well known that Asiatic crosses do not particularly tend to dark legs, and we have seen that 
Mr. Douglas’s cross was by no means of the Asiatic type. The simple fact is, that dark legs attend 
dark plumage, and as long as this is selected the legs will always trouble the breeder. After many 
gastronomic experiments, we have been utterly unable to find that dark-footed birds are any way 
inferior in flesh to those vaunted as so much more “ pure.” But we have no wish to dispute this 
particular matter ; fully agreeing that a dark foot or leg does look, at all events, out of place in a 
Dorking. We have here, however, only to consider judging ; and, on this point, steadily refraining 
from any tabulation of what we think it ought to be, its recent state will be best represented 
by reducing the points for colour (in the Coloured breed) from 12 to 10, and by retaining legs 
“ any colour but white or pinky-white ” among our list of disqualifications. In several years since 
the last edition was published this would not have represented actual judging, nor would stained 
feet be regarded as a fatal fault in all cases now — in fact, the atmosphere has hardly settled after the 
storm. As our own judgment, however, goes with the old standard and the renewed attempt to 
enforce it, such doubt as exists — and some doubt does exist — regarding present and future practice, 
we decide in favour of the white leg. 
Dorkings should always be weighed when Whites are exhibited in the same class. 
* Mr. Hewitt wrote us on this point : “My own experience is, that as an almost invariable rule the dark-feathered Dorkings of 
the present day really are the most weighty and thick-set birds if taken in hand. I do not allude to purposely fatted fowls, which 
afterwards are frequently unprolific ; but birds in proper breeding condition as stock fowls.” We can corroborate this from 
experiment ; and very naturally the almost invariable nature of the rule would lead a judge, unless he actually weighed the 
birds, to conclude that, even in case of what might be an occasional exception, the dark pen was still the heaviest, and to 
decide accordingly. 
