THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, May 26, 1857. 
125 
Black, or Brown, or Partridge Cochin Chinas? I hope I 
shall soon see some tables of egg and chicken produce in 
the columns of your excellent Poultry Chronicle, to which 
I wish every success, and remain—A Wiltshire Poultry- 
keeper. 
PIGEON CLUBS OF THE METROPOLIS. 
Amongst the various societies or clubs in London for the 
improvement of the feathered race, those which take cog¬ 
nizance of Pigeons attract a special amount of notice, 
owing, in a great measure, to their encouraging an agreeable 
recreation for all classes, and one which is attended with 
few drawbacks. I wish to draw more attention to those 
which may bo considered as occupying the first rank; not 
that I estimate them more highly, but because I believe that 
they are the most suitable for the majority of the readers 
of The Cottage Gardener. Although some few gentle¬ 
men belong to that gigantic Society in Southwark, still they 
frequent it with a view of purchasing, not of exhibiting 
their birds. The old Columbarian Club was, till a few years 
back, the principal, if not the only club from which dealers 
and others of that class were rigorously excluded, and 
during its existence it enjoyed a reputation which has long 
survived the extinction of the Club. 
More recently the Philoperisteron Society was established 
by a few gentlemen who hoped to place it upon a similar 
footing as its predecessor, but its honours are now shared 
by the National Columbarian Club , which, although it was 
only started in the close of last season, has already passed 
the Philoperisteron in point of numbers. 
The Philoperisteron, although in some respects equal, is, 
I think, in many points inferior to its rival, or perhaps I 
should say that its increased expenses are not, in my 
opinion, counterbalanced by corresponding advantages. 
For instance, its subscription and entrance fees are double 
those of the National Columbarian, without its being in 
any respect more select. True, its supporters urge the fact 
of the surplus funds being devoted to a grand annual 
dinner; but then, to cover the expenses of that, there is an 
additional contribution from each guest; and as, after the 
first cost of the pens, the sole expenses should be for the 
rooms and printing, with a trifling sum for postage and 
such-like small items, I think that the National Colum¬ 
barian Club have chosen the wiser path in fixing their sub¬ 
scriptions and entrance fees at so low a rate, since, as every 
member is balloted for, no unpleasant mixture can take 
place. They are also wise in having no such extravagance 
as a grand annual dinner, which entails an extra expenditure 
of about one guinea per head.—J. II. S, 
CHARACTERISTICS OF GAME FOWLS. 
Your correspondent, “ A North Country Amateur,” 
having written a very able article on “ Game Fowls, Colour 
of their Legs, and other Points,” in which he quotes my 
communications in higher terms of commendation than 
they deserve, I feel it right to make some reply on the 
subjects he mentions. 
As to legs I cannot change my opinion, and would not 
keep a ivhite or blue-legged Game fowl. I have tried the 
effect of a cross between a yellow-legged Black-breasted Red 
Game cock and a blue-legged, Game hen of the same variety, 
and the result was that all the chickens but two out of 
eleven took after their parents, five being yellow -legged and 
four blue. Two were, however, willow-legged, but that I 
attributed to some cross in the parents. I must agree with 
“ W.” that white legs do give a soft appearance to Game 
fowls, in spite of the celebrated white-legged Black-breasted 
“ Derby Reds.” I have heard that their originals were 
yellow-legged, but that the white legs were preferred for the 
earl’s table, though I cannot, of course, positively state this 
as a fact. 
I cannot quite understand what your correspondent means 
by a “primitive” variety of a domesticated kind of fowl, as 
in my opinion there could only have been one primitive 
variety from which the whole originally sprung; and by 
crossing with other sorts and various intermixtures it is that 
the numerous varieties have arisen. The Black-breasted 
Reds are, in my opinion, the nearest to the original stock by 
far. The hens should be dark partridge-feathered. I go 
in this opinion from the Indian varieties, as I have stated 
in a former communication. The light or wheat-coloured 
Black-breasted Red hens that I have had have almost 
always thrown either “dun” or “pile” chickens occasionally, 
and I therefore belieye that they must be crossed with 
those varieties. I also consider the Black-breasted Reds to 
be by far the handsomest variety, particularly the cocks. 
Grey Duckwing hens of the proper silver colour are cer¬ 
tainly very handsome, but the cocks are, in my humble 
opinion, inferior to the Red birds of both colours; but, of 
course, chacun a son gout , as the French say. 
It would be better for the Game fanciers if they could 
get up an exclusively winter Game-fowl Exhibition with the 
cock chickens undubbed, so that their combs might he 
judged as well as themselves, and in which every variety 
could only compete with birds of their own colour, aud all 
different varieties in separate classes; but I suppose such 
an exhibition could hardly be obtained. If it could be 
obtained it would have to be as nearly central as possible, 
or where the greatest number of railways meet, as at Bir¬ 
mingham for instance. It would, in such a case, be easy to 
lay down rules as to which coloured legs each separate 
variety should possess ; but there would, of course, be very 
great difference of opinion on such a subject. Your corre¬ 
spondent seems to class the yellow or straw-coloured Duck- 
wings as the same breed with the “ Silver Duckwing Greys,” 
whereas I believe the former are bred from the Black¬ 
breasted Red; and the latter, the “ Silver Duckwing Greys,” 
with hackles and saddle all as near as possible to white , but 
yet retaining the Duckwing, are a far purer variety, and not 
crossed with the Reds. Any person can breed the straw- 
coloured birds with copper saddles from a Black-breasted 
Red cock and a Silver Duckwing hen. I consider that the 
straw-coloured, copper-saddled, and generally brown-winged 
Duckwings should have yellow legs, as they have in most 
instances been bred from the yellow-legged Black-breasted 
Red and the Grey Duckwing hen , and therefore follow their 
proper lead. 
In stating as above I am perfectly aware that several 
good breeders insist that the Silver, not Yellow Duckwings 
should have silver or white legs; and I have also heard 
people who have paid attention to breeding say that the 
“ Blues ” or “ Duns,” as we term them here, should have 
blue legs. 
I have not the conscience to monopolise all your poultry 
paper in describing the different varieties of Game fowls. 
The “ Birchen Yellows,” as I consider, stand in the same 
relationship to the Duckwing Yellows as the Brown Reds do 
to the Black-breasted Reds ; and I cannot think that any of 
the straw-coloured varieties can be original, as they were all 
crossed with the Red birds. The Birchen Yellows are, 
most probably, a cross between the Brown Red cock and 
Dark Grey hen, as I have produced them in that same way. 
Some people, say that the Brown Reds are a cross between 
the old Black breed of the reign of King Charles II. and 
the Black-breasted Reds. Such may be the case, but I 
doubt it, as the true Brown Red hen is dark purple or 
“ gipsy-combed,” and they are called hereabouts the “ Gipsy 
Reds.” 
As to “Piles,” if the “North Country Amateur” will 
put a Black-breasted Red cock to a white-legged White 
Game hen (the cock having yellow legs) he will, I am 
almost certain, having clone the same myself several times, 
get well-marked Piles without black feathers in their tails. 
In this case the cock should “ cut out ” lightish. * 
I have been a little in the north country, and, as far as I 
could observe, the “Blues” or “ Duns ” predominated. I 
have also seen the “ Henny-feathered ” cocks, as they are 
here called, but cannot admire them. “ Spangles,” I think, 
are certainly the result of crossing, as I have produced 
whole broods of them only by mixing colours on several 
occasions. As to black legs, as your correspondent observes, 
Brown Reds, Brassy-winged, and Blacks, often or generally 
have them, or what are termed black. As far as I have 
seen, black legs are only dark brown or bronze colour; white 
legs are only flesh-coloured in reality, not white; blue legs 
are slate or ash-coloured, not blue; yellow legs are yellow 
beyond dispute; olive or willow legs, though of different 
