3i6 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



chickenhoud ; is a capital sitter and mother, 

 though not excessively broody ; and is a very 

 fairly good table-fowl. In this last respect it 

 cannot .stand so high in England 

 Qualities as in i^merica, where they prefer 



and that yellow skin and shank which 



Characteristics, j^ England are rather disliked ; 

 but even in England it is begin- 

 ning to be understood that a yellow-skinned bird 

 may be excellent eating, and is sometimes more 

 juicy than a white-skinned. It is a bird with 

 capital breast and wings, at all events ; and at 

 the Smithfield show of table poultry in 1894, 

 where all other breeds besides Dorkings and 

 Surreys and Games had to compete in one class, 

 the winning pullets were Wyandottes. In 

 regard to laying qualities, it may be noted that 

 in America, where fowls have been more per- 

 sistently bred for laying than anywhere in the 

 world, the White Wyandotte has slightly ex- 

 ceeded the average of any other breed, so far as 

 we have been able to ascertain.* 



Apart from the plumage which distinguishes 

 each of the varieties, the general characteristics 

 of the Wyandotte are few, marked, and easily 

 described. The head should be short and rather 

 broad, the Brahma ancestry being here clearly 

 traceable. The rose comb is smaller and 

 narrower than a Hamburgh comb, and the back 

 and spike or leader should curve rather down- 

 wards, parallel with the top of the head ; this 

 comb is typical of the breed, and should be pre- 

 served, otherwise it should be neat and full of 

 " work " as usual in rose-combs. The face, 

 ear-lobes, and wattles are smooth and fine, and 

 brilliant red. The neck-hackle of the cock 

 should be full and flowing, the back short, the 

 saddle rising to the tail in a nice curve, the 

 tail well filled up and sweeping, but rather 

 upright. The body is very full and broad in 

 breast, and deep, but not very long ; rather what 

 the Americans call "cobby'' shape. Thiscobbi- 

 ness, on medium or rather short shanks, is the 

 characteristic type of the Wyandotte. 



The recognised head and original of the 

 Wyandotte family is the Silver or Silver Laced. 

 In this variety, the head of the male is silvery 

 white, the hackles lower down becoming striped 

 with dense black, as also are the saddle hackles. 

 The back is silvery white, as are the wing- 

 bows ; the principal wing-coverts white, broadly 

 laced with black, forming good laced bars 

 across the wing ; the secondaries are black on 



* It is impossible to be certain, with fresh egg-scores issued 

 every month in various papers. But at the date these lines are 

 wriaen, of such as came under our notice, the highest single 

 score, and the highest general average, were conceded to the 

 White Wyandotte in the States and this country ; but in Australia 

 to the White Leghorn. 



the inner web, and white with a broad black 

 lacing on the outer web, edging each visible 

 feather with black. The breast and under parts 

 are white laced with black, from 

 Silver throat round to back of thighs, the 



Wyandottes. under-fluff slate or dark grey ; the 

 tail black with green reflections. 

 The female has also a white head and striped 

 hackle, and black tail, and secondaries of the 

 wing as in the cock ; the rest of the body white, 

 with each feather laced round with black, the 

 tail-coverts approaching that character as far as 

 possible, or with a white centre to the feathers. 

 Regularity and rich density in the black lacing 

 is the main point in the value of the marking. 



For the following notes upon breeding and 

 exhibiting, not only Silver Wyandottes, but 

 their allied varieties, of Golden and Buff- 

 Laced, we are indebted to the late Rev. John 

 Crombleholme, of St. Mary's, Clayton-le- 

 Moors, Accrington, who was recognised as one 

 of the highest authorities regarding them in 

 this country, and also as one of the most suc- 

 cessful breeders : — 



" Without entering into the origin or history 

 of the Wyandotte, of which there is little to 

 record, I will merely discuss here the points, the 

 breeding, and the exhibition of our most popular 

 fowl ; and it may be well in the first place to 

 refer to the general characteristics which apply 

 to all the varieties and distinguish them from 

 any other breed, and by which we recognise 

 them as pure-bred Wyandottes. Here shape 

 should have precedence, and we must combat an 

 impression which the Americans seem to have, 

 that we are not at one with them in this essen- 

 tial. The recently revised Standard issued by 

 the Poultry Club and endorsed by our special 

 Club, does however describe the breast as full 

 and round, the back broad and short, the neck 

 well arched and of medium length, the tail well 

 developed and carried rather upright. Here wc 

 have a general outline of the body which is 

 suggestive of a cobby or blocky bird, especially 

 when we add that the legs should match the 

 tout ensemble and only be of medium length. 

 Our ideas of a standard bird cannot therefore 

 differ to more than a degree or two from those 

 of the originators ; and any dift'erences in practice, 

 or in the pens, can only arise from our tem- 

 porarily fastening attention chiefly upon the more 

 difficult points of colour and lacing, which as 

 regards all varieties, is the English habit in 

 breeding. There have been and are many birds 

 shown, whose outline is far from coinciding with 

 the Standard, and some of these have won at our 

 best shows ; but it is only fair to record that they 

 have been beautifully laced. No doubt in the 



