THE POULTRY BOOK. 
135 
black-breasted, — not a large bird, but of good game shape, with yellow legs. The 
strildng peculiarity of the breed consists in the number of spurs the cocks have on 
their shanks, — three, four, or five on each leg, the best cocks having ten spurs. 
My cockerel, although a young bird, shows the knobs of four spurs on each shank, 
one above the other, in a row, where the spurs usually grow. The hens are of the 
brown partridge colour usual in game fowls of the red breeds, with yellow legs 
— very neat little birds, sprightly and active. One of them commenced laying 
shortly before Christmas Day, and by the end of January had laid 26 eggs : 
the eggs are medium- sized and slightly tinted.” 
Little need be said as to the accommodation necessary for game fowls. A good 
grass run is essential, and we cannot advise their being kept by any who are unable 
to grant them this indulgence. They are impatient of restraint, and never appear 
in really good condition when debarred from the country exercise that seems 
required by their hardy constitutions. 
In the selection of breeding stock, whatever the variety preferred, the greatest 
care must be taken, in matching the proposed parents, as regards form, feather, 
and the colours of the beak and legs ; since an injudicious selection may injure the 
strain for years, and present unwelcome features even after generations have passed 
away. 
The male bird does not appear to influence the progeny to the same extent as the 
hen. Thus Mr. Brent has observed — “ In breeding them much depends on the 
purity of the hens, for a good game hen, with a dunghill cock, will breed good 
fighting birds ; but the best game cock, with a dunghill hen, will not breed a bird 
good for anything.” Eespecting the ages of the breeding stock, it is not desirable 
to mate old birds together ; a stag or last year’s bird, placed with hens of two or 
three years old, will be found to produce finer chickens than when an old cock is 
mated with last season’s hens ; at least such was the experience of the breeders for 
the cock-pit. Where great excellence is aimed at, we would not advise the companion- 
ship of more than four hens with the cock. The rule to avoid all relationship in 
your brood stock, if possible, was not constantly followed by the breeders of fighting 
birds. They made one exception, that of pairing a hen to her own son ; and 
provided both were superior birds, they found the result very satisfactory ; but they 
were cautious not to repeat the in-and-in breeding. 
In colour, the eggs of the game fowl vary from a dull white to fawn, but crosses 
with the Indian bird impart a still darker tint. The average weight of those laid 
by full-grown pullets is 2 oz., and 2-^ oz. might be considered as a fair weight for 
those of the full-grown hen. 
As sitters. Game hens have no superiors. Quiet on their eggs, regular in the 
hours for coming off and returning to their charge, and confident, from their fear- 
less disposition, of repressing the incursions of any intruder, they rarely fail to 
bring off good broods. Hatching accomplished, their merits appear in a still more 
conspicuous light. Ever on their guard, not even the shadow of a bird overhead, 
or the approach of man or beast, but finds them ready to do battle for their 
