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THE POULTRY BOOK. 
of our most successful exhibitors state that their birds reach 6 lbs. when two 
years old ; but beyond this weight the bar sinister may be looked for in their 
escutcheon, owing to an alliance with that bane of the English Game fowl, the 
Malay. 
The carriage and form of the Game cock are certainly more beautiful than that 
of any other variety of domestic fowl. The neck is long, strong, and gracefully 
curved ; the hackle short and very close ; the breast broad ; the back short, 
broad across the shoulders ; the whole body very firm and hard, with a perfectly 
straight breast and back, the latter tapering towards the tail ; the wings large and 
powerful, and carried closely pressed into the sides ; the thighs strong, muscular, 
and short, tightly clothed with feathers, and well set forward on the body, so as to 
be available for fighting ; the shanks rather long, strong hut not coarse, covered 
with fine scales, and of moderate length ; the feet flat and thin, the toes long 
and spreading, so as to give a good hold on the ground ; the hind toe must be set 
low down, so as to rest flatly on the ground, and not merely touch with the point, — 
a defect which is known as ‘‘ duck- footed,” and is regarded as a serious disquali- 
fication, as it renders the bird unsteady when pushed backwards by his opponent. 
The plumage is compact, hard, and mail-like to a remarkable degree, and 
possesses a brilliant glossiness that cannot be surpassed. The tail in the cock is 
rather long, the sickle feathers gracefully arched, not very broad, and carried 
closely together, the whole tail curved backwards and not brought forwards over the 
back, — a defect which causes the bird to be termed squirrel- tailed. 
The head in this variety is extremely beautiful, being thin and long, like that of 
a greyhound ; the beak massive at its root, strong and well curved ; the eye large, 
very full, and brilliant in lustre ; the ear-lobe and face of a bright scarlet, and the 
comb in undubbed birds single, erect, and thin. The spur, which is exceedingly 
dense and sharp, should be set low on the leg, its power as a weapon being thereby 
greatly increased ; it may be remarked that this offensive organ is often present 
in the softer sex. 
In the hen, the form, making due allowance for the difference of sex and 
alteration of plumage, resembles that of the cock. The head is neater, the face 
lean and thin. The small thin comb should be low in front, evenly serrated, and 
perfectly erect. The deaf ear and wattles should be small. The neck, from the 
absence of hackle feathers, looks longer and more slender than that of her mate. 
The tail feathers should be held closely together, and not spread out like a fan, as 
not unfrequently stated. The plumage should be so close that the form of the 
wing should be distinctly visible, the outline not being hidden by the feathers of 
the body. 
The varieties of Game are very numerous, as from the anxiety to avoid any 
deterioration in figure or courage, crosses between the principal breeds have been 
frequently resorted to, so that a number of sub-varieties present themselves to our 
notice, many of which are still further complicated by the use of names of merely 
provincial employment. 
