288 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



and still do occasionally, these black sports 

 revert to the usual colour of shanks and beak 

 in all respects. The following notes on White 

 Langshans were kindly contributed by Mr. 

 W. B. Westlake, of North Walsham, well 

 known as a breeder of this variety : — 



" Although this breed originated about 20 

 or 25 years ago, it has made but little pro- 

 gress amongst fanciers, which is a great pity, as 

 it is one of the handsomest and hardiest white 

 breeds we have. In shape and general char- 

 acteristics it is exactly like the Black Langshan, 

 from which it is a sport, differing only in colour. 

 As a layer it is quite equal to, if not better than, 

 the black. The eggs from the pullets are larger, 

 averaging 2| ozs. in weight, and are of a 

 beautiful brown colour. The hens are reliable 

 sitters and good mothers, but are apt to break 

 an egg or two, as they are heavy birds. The 

 chickens hatch out a dirty grey colour, and like 

 their relations the Blacks, feather rather slowly, 

 but nevertheless they are strong, and thrive well 

 even in the coldest weather, providing they are 

 kept dry and sheltered from the wind. If 

 required for exhibition they should be hatched 

 during January and February, and for winter 

 laying not later than the middle of March, as 

 they take rather a long time to mature. About 

 the middle of February is the best time for 

 hatching, for both purposes. 



" The average weight for full grown birds is, 

 cocks 9 lbs. to 10 lbs. ; hens 7 lbs. to 8 lbs. 

 The cocks have been known to scale 14 lbs. 

 The colour is as follows : the beak should be 

 white, with a pinkish shade near the lower edges. 

 The legs and feet are light grey or slate ; the 

 scales rather loosely put on, thus showing the 

 pink skin between. The plumage is pure white 

 all over, the upper parts, wings, and tail glossed 

 over with a brilliant silvery sheen. 



" As a table fowl these birds do not rank 

 high, owing to their being rather slow growers, 

 but at the same time they are excellent eating, 

 there being an abundance of white meat on both 

 breast and legs. I believe a cross with the 

 Houdan would be admirable for market pur- 

 poses, as they would be ready for the table 

 weeks sooner, and still retain the juicy white 

 meat on the breast. For this cross I should 

 recommend using the Houdan cock on white 

 Langshan hens, and not a white Langshan male." 



The White Langshan has some points which 

 make it peculiarly suitable for such breeders 

 as like a white fowl. It is very large and 

 hardy, with good flesh and a beautiful skin ; a 

 good layer ; and its close and hard plumage 

 enables the White to keep cleaner than some 

 other breeds. Like the Blue, it is sometimes 



shorter in leg than tne prevailing type of Blacks, 

 having sported and been developed at a period 

 when less length of limb was the accepted 

 model ; but the modern type is being more 

 and more bred up to, and somi: winners 

 lately have been quite as tall as the older 

 variety. 



When once really kindred black and white 

 varieties of a breed are in existence, it only 

 requires breeding together, to produce sooner or 

 later the colour known as blue, blue- 

 Blue dun, or Andalusian. It is a mere 

 Langshans. matter of choice or experiment. 

 This line of breeding was taken up 

 by Messrs. Kirby and Smith, of New York, in 

 the case of the Langshan, and their first Blues 

 were exhibited at Charleston in January, 1S90. 

 They had taken five years to get the colour 

 presentable, aided in some degree by a blue 

 " sport " from pure black raised by a Mr. 

 McLean of Connecticut. The first specimens 

 that appeared in England were sent from Mr. 

 Smith to Mrs. Sismey of Rutland, who disposed 

 of the stock afterwards to Mr. Shelton and 

 Mr. W. A. Jukes, all eventually finding their 

 way into the yards of the latter ; and another 

 pair, from Mr. Bradbury of New York (but 

 also from Mr. Smith's yard originally), was 

 also sent to Liverpool Show in 1893, and there 

 purchased by Mr. Jukes. From these two im- 

 portations probably all, and certainly most, 

 of the present stock in England is derived. 

 They are beyond doubt true Langshans, bred 

 between black and white without going outside 

 the original breed. The following notes are 

 kindly supplied by Mr. W. A. Jukes, hon. 

 secretary of the Blue Langshan Club :— 



" Since the last edition of this work was 

 produced, a great change has been wrought in 

 the appearance of the Blue Langshan ; not 

 only has the colour been intensified, but the 

 type has been altered from the feathery, cobby 

 type, as originally introduced from America, 

 to the tight-feathered, upstanding type now 

 generally recognised as the Modern or Club 

 type. The accompanying illustration of a 

 cockerel bred and exhibited by me will show 

 this very clearly, and it is not too much to say 

 that in this respect the Blue is quite equal 

 to its older brother, the Black. 



" This change has been partly brought about 

 by occasional crosses with the Black Club type 

 Langshan, selective breeding having done the 

 rest. Fresh blood was, of course, necessary, 

 not alone for vigour of constitution, but also 

 in order to keep up the colour, and as this 

 was produced in the first instance from the 



