Breeding Plymouth Rocks. 
435 
gout in the feet.” Whatever the ailment meant may have been, the fact is indisputable that, to the 
present day, many strains of Rocks — we cannot say whether or not it is so with all — are peculiarly 
subject to obscure ailments of the feet or legs, causing lameness. Such affections not being usually 
characteristic of breeds originated by crossing — which, on the contrary, tends generally towards a 
hardy constitution — the probability is that a rheumatic or gouty diathesis has been inherited from 
some one of the original progenitors, whose influence has been most marked upon the race. 
The general appearance of the ordinary Plymouth Rock is much like that of a smooth-legged 
Cuckoo Cochin, but with tighter plumage and a better shape. The average comb is smaller than 
that of the average Cochin ; the tail is much larger, and carried more upright ; and the breast 
should be deep and full, with legs of only moderate length. In breeding the fowl, we are strongly 
of opinion that the first object should be to maintain the useful and true Rock characteristics, and 
we have observed in many cases, with great regret, terrible loss of these, and some disposition to 
ignore points which belong to the fowl as the Americans made it and sent it to us. A Plymouth 
Rock not fairly typical in character, and not a good table-bird, has no motive or justification for 
existence as such, but becomes a mere cuckoo-coloured mongrel ; and many such birds have we 
seen. Legs far too long, breasts far deficient, and narrow bodies — all such faults simply bring out 
the deficiencies due to Cochin ancestry, and such ought to be killed at once, certainly never to take 
prizes. Yet we have seen them do so, while the same judge passed over far better birds for a slight 
stain on the beak. Of late these vagaries have been less frequent. 
The colour of the ordinary Plymouth Rock presents some special difficulties in breeding. The 
cuckoo colour in general is common to many breeds. Whether or not it is an original natural 
colour is uncertain — indeed, who is to define what an “ original ” colour really is ? However this 
may be, Mr. Darwin has collected abundant evidence for a fact established by many occurrences 
recorded since — that generally it occurs as a composite or crossed colour, but with a strong 
tendency to perpetuate itself when once formed. It is established that the crossing of black and 
white fowls (occasionally even of different whites or blacks together), while usually producing either 
the parent whole colours, or pies or splashes, sometimes produces either the blue colour of the 
Andalusian fowl or this cuckoo marking. Mr. Darwin has further established that any cross of 
poultry has some tendency to produce the reddish colour, which probably marked the original of 
all poultry races. There is, therefore, a more or less constant tendency for black, white, and 
yellow or red to occur in all cuckoo-coloured varieties ; but in the case of the Rocks, there is 
more than usual difficulty in breeding, owing to their recent origin and the strong infusion of Black 
Java blood in their composition. The tendency to breed dark is, upon the whole, the greatest 
difficulty in breeding Plymouth Rocks. The mixture of races is also shown by the varying colours 
of the nestling chickens. Even of those which will one day be of cuckoo colour, some will be 
nearly black in the down, with only a patch of white on the head, and perhaps a couple of stripes 
on neck and shoulders ; while others will have white and black on the back. The first wins'- 
feathers of young cocks are generally barred on a light ground (almost a white ground), while 
young pullets’ wing-feathers are dark. Generally speaking, the lightest birds in a brood will prove 
cockerels. The birds which show the best yellow legs and beaks when mature, are mostly rather 
dusky yellow than clear yellow as chicks, the clear yellow chicks often becoming very pale as they 
grow up. 
This brings us to the difficulties of breeding for colour, which we have already seen to be, for 
the reasons stated, greater than in most other cuckoo breeds of fowls. What the plumage should 
be has been described on page 432, and will be fully understood from Figs. 93 and 94. But in 
breeding, the dark blood of the Java seems to tend especially to the hens , so that in an ordinary 
