in less
than a year the neck-hackles, as in the last case, became whitish, whilst
those on the loins assumed a decided reddish-yellow tint; and here we see
the first symptom of reversion; this likewise occurred with some other
young cocks, which need not here be described. It has also been
recorded[389] by a breeder, that he crossed two silver-pencilled Hamburgh
hens with a Spanish cock, and reared a number of chickens, all of which
were black, the cocks having _golden_ and the hens brownish hackles; so
that in this instance likewise there was a clear tendency to reversion.

Two young cocks from my white Game hen were at first snow white; of these,
one subsequently assumed pale orange-coloured hackles, chiefly on the
loins, and the other an abundance of fine orange-red hackles on the neck,
loins, and upper wing-coverts. Here again, we have a more decided, though
partial, reversion to the colours of _G. bankiva_. This second cock was in
fact coloured like an inferior "pile Game cock;"--now this sub-breed can be
produced, as I am informed by Mr. Tegetmeier, by crossing a black-breasted
red Game cock with a white Game hen, and the "pile" sub-breed thus produced
can afterwards be truly propagated. So that we have the curious fact of the
glossy-black Spanish cock and the black-breasted red Game cock when crossed
with white Game-hens producing offspring of nearly the same colours.

I reared several birds from the white Silk-hen by the Spanish cock: all
were coal-black, and all plainly showed their parentage in having blackish
combs and bones; none inherited the so-called silky feathers, and the
non-inheritance of this character has been observed by others. The hens
never varied in their plumage. As the young cocks grew old, one of them
assumed yellowish-white hackles, and thus resembled in a considerable {242}
degree the cross from the Hamburgh hen; the other became a gorgeous bird,
so much so that an acquaintance had it preserved and stuffed simply from
its beauty. When stalking about it closely resembled the wild _Gallus
bankiva_, but with the red feathers rather darker. On close comparison one
considerable difference presented itself, namely, that the primary and
secondary wing-feathers were edged with greenish-black, instead of being
edged, as in _G. bankiva_, with fulvous and red tints. The space, also,
across the back, which bears dark-green feathers, was broader, and the comb
was blackish. In all other respects, even i