DARK INDIAN GAME

Male Plumage

Head, neck, breast, under-fluff, thighs, and tail black, with rich green glossy sheen or lustre, the base of the neck and tail hackles a little broken with bay or chestnut, which should be almost hidden by the body of the feathers.

Shoulders and wing bows green glossy black or beetle-green, slightly broken with bay or chestnut in the centre of the feather or shaft. Tail coverts (the uppertail and undertail coverts cover the base of the tail feathers above and below.) green glossy black or beetle-green slightly broken with bay or chestnut in the base of the shaft.

Back feathers green glossy black or beetle-green, also touched on the fine fronds at the end of the feathers with bay or chestnut which gives the sheen so much desired. When the wing is closed there is a triangular patch of bay or chestnut formed of the secondary’s, which are green glossy black or beetle-green on the inner, and bay or chestnut on the outer web, and which when closed show only the bay in a solid triangle. The primaries, ten in number, are curved and of a deep black, except for about 6.25 cm (2 1/2in) of a narrow lacing of light chestnut on the outer web.

Female Plumage

The ground colour is chestnut-brown, nut-brown, or mahogany-brown. Head, hackle and throat green glossy black or beetle-green. The pointed hackle that lies under the neck feathers green glossy-black, or beetle-green with a bay or chestnut centre mark, the breast commencing on the lower part of the throat, expanding into lacing on the swell of the breast, of a rich bay or chestnut, the inner or double-lacing being most distinct the belly and thighs being marked somewhat similarly and running off into a mixture of indistinct markings under the vent and swell of the thighs.

The feathers of shoulders and back are somewhat smaller, enlarging towards the tail coverts and similarly marked with double lacing, the markings on wing bows and shoulders running down to the waist are l most distinct of all, with the same kind of double lacing. Often in the best specimens there is an additional mark enclosing the base of the shaft of the feather and running to a point in the second or inner lacing. Tail coverts are seldom as distinctly marked but have the same style of marking. Primary or flight feathers are black, except on inner frond or web which is a little coloured or peppered with a light chestnut. Secondary’s are black on the inner web, while the outer web is in keeping with the general ground colour and is edged with a delicate lacing of green glossy black or beetle-green.

Wing coverts which form the bar are laced like those of the body and often a little peppered. The black lacing should be metallic-green, glossy black or beetle-green. This should appear embossed or raised. In both sexes: Beak horn, yellow, or horn striped with yellow. Eyes from pearl to pale red. Face, comb, wattles and ear-lobes rich red. Legs rich orange or yellow, the deeper the better.

Weights

Male 3.60kg (8 lbs) min

Female 2.70kg (6 lbs) min