THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, July 20 1858. 
“Nonsense,” cried a third; “ you are both wrong; there 
are none equal to the old Knowsleys, and they had white.” 
“ I always think,” said a very young man, “ that they look 
i tame, and are deficient in style; the white leg looks poor.” 
“I don’t care for looks,” said another; “I have fought 
them times and often, and I know they are good in the pit.” 
“ Well,” said one, who had not spoken before, “ I prefer 
the Duck-wing to any for beauty, and I like them as fighters. 
What can be so handsome,—the straw hackle, the black 
breast, die copper saddle ?” 
“What, what! A copper saddle! I can’t have that,” 
said a huge, good-tempered man; “ give me a straw, almost a 
white saddle ;—a bright willow leg.” 
“ Come, that is too bad,” shouted another voice. “ Who¬ 
ever heard of a pure Duck-wing without yellow legs ? 1 don’t 
like either of them. Piles are my favourites.” 
“ What sort of Pile ?” asked his neighbour. 
“A good red wing and saddle; a hackle white, lightly 
mixed with red; breast white, but shaded; with cream- 
coloured feathers. The hens creamy all over, and white 
iegs.” 
“ I have no faith in them,” was next heard ; “ they are 
anything and nothing. They are not a pure breed.” 
“ Which is the pure and original breed? ” 
Every man spoke for his own; but we are bound to say 
the Black-reds and Duckwings had more partisans than the 
others. We found it impossible to come to any agreement as 
to colour of feathers or legs, and, therefore, turned the atten¬ 
tion to the points of excellence common to all good Game 
cocks. 
Here we were more at home. Our first point raised the 
question—whether, at an Exhibition, they should be judged 
as fighting birds, or as beautiful specimens. Here was another 
difficulty. We, however, overcame it, by proposing that the 
points should be put irrespective of judgiug. 
What should the weight of a good Game cock be ? 
The old amateurs were content with 3jibs., the younger 
wished to have them at least 4<ibs., and some wanted bibs. 
The difference was got over by our remarking it would depend 
much on condition. A very shrewd old exhibitor remarked, 
that those who sought to make weights by fatting, would have 
no chance of success, if properly judged, as hardness of feather 
could not exist with fat. He considered fat as a fault in a 
Game cock; there should be lots of flesh, and muscle as hard 
as iron, but no fat. The head small and bony, tapering to the 
insertion of the beak, which should be strong, well set in, and 
curved ; the eye full. Some objected to small heads, and 
preferred large ones. They were out-voted. The bird should 
be wide between the shoulders, narrower, but still wide over 
the hips, and then fall off rapidly till it comes to a point at the 
tail ; the back should have the exact shape of a fiat-iron. The 
thighs short, round, and hard to the touch as steel; the legs 
stout but not clumsy ; the foot flat on the ground, and the 
spur near the foot. The advocates of large heads made a 
fight for it, but it was decided in favour of snakey heads. 
No preference was given to any feather as a test of purity, 
but the feather of the particular breeds was to be insisted 
upon. 
PRESCOT POULTRY SHOW.— July 8th. 
The following is the list of prizes :— 
Plate prize, Capt. W. W. Hornby, Knowsley Cottage. Second, J. 
Parson, Audershaw, Manchester. 
Plate prize, J. It. Roclbard, Bristol. Second, J. K. Fowler, Prebendal 
Farm, Aylesbury. 
Plate and Second, Capt. W. W. Hornby, Knowsley Cottage. 
Plate prize, W. Evans, Hurst House. Second, Capt. W. W. Hornby, 
j Knowsley Cottage. 
i First, T. Stretch, Bootle. Second, R. E. Ashton, Limefield, Bury. 
Plate prize, Miss Y. W. Musgrove, Aughton, Ormskirk. Second, 
II. Tomlinson, Birmingham. 
First, W. Copple, Eccleston. Second, W. M. Lilly, Money Hill Hall, 
Kingsnorton. 
Plate prize, Miss Y. \V. Musgrove, Aughton, Ormskirk. Second, 
J. L. Harrison, Foxholes, Lancaster. 
First, It. Teebay, Fulwood, Preston. Second, J. K. Bartrum, Bath. 
Plate and Second, W. C. Worrall, Rice House, Knotty Ash. 
Plate prize, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, W. C. Worrall, Rice House, 
Knotty Ash, 
Plate prize, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, Mrs. W. C. Worrall, 
Rice House, Knotty Ash. 
First, R. Teebay, Fulwood, Preston. Second, J. Robinson, Yale 
House, Garstang. 
First, T. Keable, Rowdefield Farm, Devizes. Second, J. Dixon, 
Bradford. 
Plate prize, Messrs. Bird and Beldon, Bradford. Second, J. Dixon, 
Bradford. 
Plate prize, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, J. F. Greenall, Grappen- 
hall Hall. 
First, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, J. F. Greenall, Grappenhall 
Hall. 
First, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, G. Ray, Ivy Cottage, Lyridhurst. 
Plate prize, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, G. Ray, Ivy Cottage, 
Lyndhurst. J J 51 
Plate prize, F. Worrall, Knotty Ash. Second, J. Brown, Pole Street, 
Preston. ’ ’ 
First, G. W. Moss, the Beach, Aigburth. Second, H. "Worrall, 
Spring Grove, West Derby. 
First, G. W. Moss, the Beach, Aigburth. Second, J. Dixon, Bradford. 
Plate prize, Capt. W. W. Hornby, Knowsley Cottage. Second, 
T. Burg«ss, jun., Burlevdam, Salop. 
First, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, J. Robinson, Vale House, 
Garstang. 
First, Capt. W. W. Hornby, Knowsley Cottage. Second, Messrs. 
J. and R. Blackburne, Preston. 
First, The Hon. W. W. Vernon, Wolseley Hall, Rugeley. Second, 
Messrs. J. and R. Blackburne, Preston. 
First, G. W. Moss, the Beach, Aigburth. Second, R. E. Ashton, 
Limefield, Bury. 
Plate and Second, J. K. Fowler, Prebendal Farm, Aylesbury. 
First, J. Dixon, Bradford. Second, P. Longton, Woolton Hill. 
First, T. Burgess, jun., Burleydam, Salop. Second, J. Dixon, 
Bradford. 
Pigeons. — Carriers. — First, C. Twist, Woolton. Second, Capt. 
W. W. Hornby, Knowsley Cottage. Balds. — First, W. Sephton, 
Prescot. ^ Second, E. Astley, Roby. Beards. —First, J. W. Edge, 
Acton New Town, Birmingham. Second, W. Sephton, Prescot. 
Bunts. —First, W. M. Lilly, Money Hill Hall, Kingsnorton. Second, 
E. Worrall, Knotty Ash. Owls .—First and Second, E Worrall, Knotty 
Ash. Fantails. —Prize, W. M. Lilly, Money Hill Hall, Kingsnorton. 
Powters .—No exhibitors. Any other variety. — First, E. Worrall, 
Knotty Ash. Second, A. G. Brooke, Birkenhead. 
Game Cock. —First Plate Prize, Capt. W. W. Hornby, Ivnowslev 
Cottage. Second Plate Prize, G. W. Moss, the Beach, Aigburth. 
ANDALUSIANS. 
I accept, with much pleasure and many thanks, your de¬ 
finition of this much valued breed of fowl. The true breed 
and form w'ere known, not only to me, but to all in this 
locality, for the last twenty years, and yet, when shown, were, 
without a single exception , beaten by a semi-white-faced bird. 
The large ear-lobe, no matter how pendent, Avon the day; 
and now these birds are almost universally dashed Avith the 
Spanish, for the sake of the ear-lohe; so that, for lack of a 
true definition and standard, the proper and real foAvl has 
been crossed to suit the times. Upon my Avoid, it is very hard 
for a careful man to be done by hybrids, and, on the matter 
being settled, to knoAV that liis breed is the true one, and 
that they are lost to him through disgust. Thus, for the 
sake of classifying these blue Mmorcas, Ave call them 
Andalusians, and determine their points as the following :— 
Cock. —Body-colour, light blue; hackle, saddle, and tail, 
shaded with very dark brown; face, red ; ear-lobe, red—if 
Avhite, not pendent; comb and wattles, very large; legs, blue ; 
size, large, not too stilty. 
Hens .—Light blue entirely, Avith hackles a trifle darker; 
face, red ; ear-lobes, if Avhite, round and flat. 
These birds breed true, although they are found occa¬ 
sionally Avith the chickens of the old black Minorca, or 
Moorish birds, and so, indeed, are Avhites. There is no 
mistake as to the true animal. On looking over a flock from 
several yards, the mixed breed, generally half Spanish, are 
Avith combs, ear-lobes, bills, and tails, of all sizes ; and faces 
and legs of all shades of Avhite, in the former, and yellow and 
black, in the latter; but the true blues have all the same 
contour: tliis must prove something. I have seen chickens 
from three pure birds, this season, and such a medley Avas 
never seen, partaking all, in some degree, of the Spanish. 
