THE POULTRY BOOK. 
133 
pen exhibited by Mr. Angel took the second prize at the Crystal Palace show that 
year. Others of the cocks subsequently bred from him were as hen-feathered as 
their parent, and retained their hen-like plumage after several moults. Nothing 
would have been easier than to have established a permanent breed or variety of 
hen-feathered brown-red game bantams, had it been considered desirable to do so. 
The old bird died in 1864, retaining his hen-feathered plumage till the last. His 
disposition did not at all accord with his feminine appearance : he was combative 
and courageous to an extreme degree, and as he possessed the sharpest natural 
spurs I ever felt, he was a dangerous opponent for cocks many times his weight. 
In fact, I had a great difficulty in getting a run for him, as he had a troublesome 
habit of blinding cocks five or six times his weight.” 
This description of the bird was originally published in the Field newspaper 
with the engraving inserted above, and elicited the following interesting commu- 
nication from one of the most experienced game-cock breeders, who, writing under 
the signature of “ Outright,” said 
“When the art of cock-fighting occupied the attention of country gentlemen 
and the sport had not become illegal, there might be seen in the yards of tenant 
farmers many beautiful specimens of the game-fowls of this country — the fine, 
glossy, black, brown, or streak-breasted red; the gorgeous yellow duckwing; 
the glittering and gaudy pile, with his wing blood-red, sometimes varying in 
colour, pied or spotted, and occasionally milk white ; the suspicious-looking 
smoky, or red dun ; the black tawny or polecat ; and, lastly, the hen-cock, in 
colour like the ordinary brown-breasted red hen, with short plumage and 
partridge hackle. These latter birds were never favourites in that celebrated 
arena for gallic combats, the Eoyal Pit, in Tufton Street, Westminster, and in 
