294 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



the personal feeling of Langshan breeders. In 

 addition to this tendency, in the early days of 

 the breed it is known that clean-legged pure 

 Langshans, from perfectly orthodox sources, 

 were sold to Orpington exhibitors, and 

 appeared immediately in exhibition pens, as 

 well as being used for breeding with their 

 stock. This still further strengthened and 

 hastened the reversion to Langshan type, 

 which was then so pronounced that at many 

 shows only one class for " Langshan or 

 Orpington " (or the converse) was provided 

 for the two breeds. The index of this change 

 has lain chiefly in the size of the eggs, which has 

 somewhat lessened since the Minorca element 

 lost power ; and in the colour of the eyes, which 

 was often red while any foreign element re- 

 mained, but has now almost everywhere 

 reverted to the Langshan brown or black. 



There has been, however, quite another 

 change, a black Orpington of practically new 

 blood coming upon the scene in iSgi, when 

 the late Mr. Joseph Partington exhibited at 

 the Dairy Show in October two cockerels and 

 two pullets, which secured first and second 

 prizes in each class, three of the four birds 

 being immediately sold at £io each; not- 

 withstanding which, at the Palace Show a few 

 weeks later he brought out fresh birds of each 

 sex that beat these previous winners. These 

 birds were of a size that had never before been 

 seen, creating quite a sensation and consider- 

 able curiosity. Mr. Partington assures us that 

 these Orpingtons also were cross-made birds, 

 but had none whatever of Mr. Cook's original 

 strain in them at all, and that he had deliber- 

 ately started with the idea of breeding him- 

 .self something in the same line, but more 

 striking and handsome. They were very 

 large, and of splendid colour, with massive 

 shape, and all had dark eyes. These points 

 made them invincible in the show pen, and 

 from this new strain, combined with the 

 original, are descended the bulk of the 

 winners of the present day. Many of the new 

 strain displayed so much more fluff than 

 former Black Orpingtons, that we cannot help 

 thinking large females of cither Black, White, 

 or perhaps even Buff Cochin may have been 

 employed with Langshan males. 



Writing on the Black Orpington, Mr. W. 

 Richardson says: — "The first variety of the 

 Orpington fowl to appear was the Black single 

 comb_ and rose-comb. The birds were 

 identical but for their combs, and the single 

 comb variety was always much more popular. 



" The Black Orpington is our handsomest 

 black fowl, and to see the classes at the 



classical shows is a treat to a lover of black 

 poultry. They are, as a rule, good layers 

 of a nice brown egg, and, except for their 

 black legs, a first-class table bird. 



" The colour of the cock should be black, 

 with a rich beetle -green sheen on all his 

 feathers, free from bronze purple, purple 

 barring or red or white in neck or saddle 

 hackles. He should be massive, short, broad 

 and deep in body, showing a wide U-shaped 

 curve on the back and underneath, and stand on 

 short, straight legs, black in young birds and 

 dark slate colour in old ones. There should 

 be no red or yellow in feet or legs, and his 

 toes should be well spread out and straight 

 with white toe-nails. The comb, wattles, and 

 ear-lobes should be medium in size and of a 

 fine deep coral red, the comb should be 

 straight, evenly serrated, and set firmly on his 

 head. His eye should be dark brown or 

 almost black, the darker the better, and his 

 beak should also be black or very dark horn 

 colour. His plumage should be silky in 

 texture and very abundant, and his tail and 

 hackles should be flowing, but his tail should 

 not be long nor the feathers too stiff. 



" The hen's colour should be the same as 

 that of the cock. She should look as massive 

 as possible, her tail should be short, and she 

 should have a nice wide rising cushion like 

 the Brahma, rising gradually to the true tail 

 feathers, as distinguished from the round ball 

 cushion of the Cochin, which is very objec- 

 tionable. The curve of her body should come 

 straight down from her head round the breast 

 and passing under and up to her tail in a 

 perfect wide U shape, the same as the curve 

 on her back from head to tail. 



" Some birds show a keel which is not 

 required, and it rather spoils their outline and 

 appearance. The weight of the cocks should be 

 from 9 lb. to ii lb., and that of the hens 7 lb. 

 to 10 lb. Equally good cockerels and pullets 

 can be bred from the same pen, which saves 

 double mating, though some strains seem to pro- 

 duce better cockerels and others better pullets." 



Colour should be bred for as in the Lang- 

 shan, but the crimson between the toes is not 

 required. Particular attention should be 

 given to preserving the correct 

 Breeding shape, with a broad and deep 

 OrSgtons. breast, the whole body looking 

 massive and solid, and set rather 

 low. Excessive fluff should be avoided, as 

 tending to decrease laying, and being often 

 accompanied by thicker skin ; too small 

 combs, also, are apt to be signs of diminished 

 egg-production. We have seen one or two 



