CROAD LANGSHANS. 



291 



and Feet : Light grey or slate, showing pink between 

 the scales and on the skin between the toes. 



. ^ Serious defects : Yellow skin ; yellow base of 

 beak ; yellow or orange-coloured eye ; yellow 

 around the eye ; yellow on shanks or under foot ; 

 legs other colour than standard ; shanks not feathered ; 

 more than four toes ; permanent white in face or 

 ear-lobes ; comb other than single ; wry tail ; 

 "squirrel" tail ; coloured feathers other than men- 

 tioned in the standard. 



Faults : Absence of pink between toes ; feather- 

 ing on middle toes ; outer toes not feathered ; too 

 scantily or too heavily feathered shanks or outer 

 toes ; twisted toes ; short shanks ; crooked breast ; 

 twisted or falling over (lopped) comb ; side sprigs 

 on comb ; general coarseness ; too much fluff ; purple 

 sheen (in Blacks) ; yellow shade or sheen (in Whites). 



THE CROAD LANGSHAN 



In previous editions of T/ie Book of 

 Poultry this important section of the Lang- 

 shan family has had to be content with but 

 scant notice beyond the discussion in the open- 

 ing pages of this chapter as to the causes 

 which led to the production of the two t\'pes 

 of the breed, now known as Langshan and 

 Croad Langshan. With the present wide 

 popularity of the latter variety, due largely to 

 its utility properties and also to the better 

 spirit now prevailing amongst all sections of 

 Langshan breeders, we have thought it desir- 

 able to give Croad Langshans separate treat- 

 ment, and Mr. Herbert P. Mullens, Hon. 

 Secretary of the Croad Langshan Club, has 

 very kindly contributed the following notes on 

 the breed ; — 



" The Langshan fowl was first imported 

 from the Langshan District of North Cliina 

 by the late ]\Iajor Croad, of Durrington, 

 Sussex, in the year 1872, and at that time 

 there was much discussion as to whether it was 

 a distinct and pure breed, but eventually it 

 was clearly proved that the new importation 

 was not only a distinct breed but one of excep- 

 tional merit for utility purposes. 



"There were two distinct types, one tall 

 and reachy and the other of medium height 



with full flowing tail, and these two types have 

 been accentuated by their respective admirers. 



" It is with the latter of these types that this 

 article deals — namely, the Croad Langshan ; 

 the prefix ' Croad ' was given to this branch for 

 two reasons, firstly, to distinguish them from 

 the tall, reachy type, and, secondly, as a per- 

 petual reminder of the debt that poultry 

 keepers owe to the late Major Croad for intro- 

 ducing such a useful and ornamental breed, 

 and to the late Miss Croad for the way she 

 championed the breed through good and ill 

 report. 



" In colour the Langshan is a dense black 

 throughout, with a brilliant beetle green gloss 

 upon the plumage; a flat and broad- 

 shouldered bird, with a deep, long meaty breast 

 supported by legs of medium or sufficient 

 length to give a graceful carriage to the bird ; 

 the legs are feathered down the outer sides 

 and toes, but not heavily. Adults weigh about 

 9 lb. in cocks and 7 lb. in hens. They 

 are good table birds, possessing flesh which is 

 exceptionally fine in grain and very juicy, very 

 much resembling that of the Houdan ; the skin 

 is very white and thin. But their chief call 

 for public favour is their exceptional &^^ pro- 

 ducing qualities, especially during the winter 

 months ; the egg is brown, varying in tint from 

 very dark to a medium shade. Some of the 

 eggs are far darker than those laid by any 

 other breed. 



" As an exhibition bird the Langshan first 

 appeared in separate classes at the Crystal 

 Palace in 1876 ; and though for some years the 

 Croad Langshan was seldom seen at shows, 

 of recent years, since the formation of the 

 Croad Langshan Club, it has been steadily 

 advancing in public favour, both as regards 

 numbers and quality, until now at all the 

 big shows well filled classes are to be seen. 

 In a nutshell, the Croad Langshan is of such 

 all-round excellence that it must always appeal 

 both to the show lover and utility fancier." 



Subjoined is the Poultry Club's standard 

 of excellence based upon that approved by the 

 Croad Langshan Club, and, we may remark, 

 considerably condensed therefrom. Breeders 

 of the Croad Langshan will therefore do well to 

 also secure the fuller form from the club's sec- 

 retary, especially when exhibiting under club 

 judges, for faults which figure as " Serious 

 defects " in the Poultry Club standard are 

 " Disqualifications " in the Croad Langshan 

 Club standard, for instance : " Yellow legs, 

 yellow at base of beak, or around eye, per- 

 manent white in ear lobes, slate or blue legs in 



