THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



distinctly better to use every now and then a 

 bird with light instead of dark under-colour or 

 fluff, and we believe the same has occasionally 

 been done in England also, with advantage in 

 clearing the centres. In all such cases, par- 

 ticular care is taken to have the lacing itself 

 rich and black ; when that is secured, we are 

 given to understand that a cross with such light 

 fluff has several times been known to have 

 evident result in clearing out mossy feather. 



Another point relates to the hackles and 

 saddle-feathers of the cocks. Many American 

 breeders have come to the conclusion that the 

 laced character of Wyandotte plumage should 

 (in due measure) extend to these male feathers 

 also, consequently in the latest standard it is 

 stated that the shaft of the feather " is white," 

 so as to permit of the breeding of more open- 

 laced birds (Fig. lo8); and in the broad part 

 of the saddle-feathers they seek for what they 

 call a tapering " diamond," or open centre of a 

 diamond shape (Fig. 109), which in a photo- 

 graph we reproduce measured about three- 

 quarters of an inch long by a third of an 

 inch wide. This is probably the American 

 method of defining what our English contri- 

 butor has described above as " clear laced 

 pullet-feathers " under the cock's saddle in 

 a pullet-breeder, and so far the two rules 

 would run on parallel lines. The only real 

 difi:erence — if, indeed, it be any difference — is 

 that American breeders define the marking as 

 just stated, and systematically select stock 

 possessing it ; and give as their experience that, 

 by breeding from standard cocks with these 

 hackles and saddle-feathers, and a little judg- 

 ment as to balance in lacings generally, they 

 can breed both sexes good from a single pen. 



The Golden Wyandotte was at least several 

 years later in date than the Silver, but all we 

 are now able to ascertain is that Golds were 

 written about as " new " in the 

 Golden American journals of 1885, and 



Wyandottes. that in the winter of 1888 ]\Ir. Sid 

 Conger came unmistakably to the 

 front with them, and that after this date they 

 were largely bred by crossing his Gold cocks 

 upon the Silver hens of other breeders. The 

 first imported into England were sent to Mr. 

 A. W. Geffcken, and others soon followed, 

 those early importations being considered fully 

 equal, if not superior, to the then average of 

 Silvers in Wyandotte type, and especially in 

 comb. But there is not the least doubt that both 

 comb and general type, subsequently to that, 

 suffered considerably in this country from cross- 

 ing with Indian Game, of which the signs were 



at one time very evident in many exhibits. Some 

 used this cross for enriching the ground-colour, 

 which became too dark in consequence ; others, 

 we believe, resorted to it with the idea of getting 

 depth of colour in the lacing. At all events, we 

 have seen many pullets which, in their sloping 

 backs, narrowness at stern, and narrowness and 

 hardness of feather, betrayed the cross most 

 unmistakably; and in pullets as late as 1899 

 we actually found double lacing — not that 

 above described, of a light edge outside the 

 black line, but the double black lacing seen in 

 many Indian Game pullets. We knew one 

 breeder, in fact, who bred and exhibited pullets 

 from a cross of Indian Game upon Silver 

 Wyandottes. The faults thus introduced, 

 however, have now practically disappeared. 



On the Golden Wyandotte Mr. Cromble- 

 holme wrote as follows : — 



" The only point in which these differ from 

 the Silver is that of colour. For faults and 

 good points in the lacing, reference may be 

 made to v.hat has been said above on the laced 

 feather of the Silver Wyandotte, and it is only 

 necessary here to treat of colour. Those who 

 have drawn up the standard are responsible for 

 the description of the ground-colour as rich 

 golden bay. I am glad to see the word 

 ' golden ' in addition to the ' rich bay,' and also 

 the reference to ' brightness ' of colour ; for the 

 term ' rich bay ' has for a long time been mis- 

 interpreted for a dark shade of bay, too dark 

 to please the eye. In The Wyandotte Annual 

 for 1S98 I called attention to this fact, notic- 

 ing that the dark heavy-breasted winner seemed 

 to be falling into disfavour with many, for a 

 bird of a brighter and more real golden colour. 

 This move of popular taste is in the right 

 direction ; for the laced WVandotte being a 

 fowl whose beauty lies in symmetry of mark- 

 ings and contrast of colour, the effect is 

 destro_\'ed when the background is so dark and 

 sombre that the lacings are rendered compara- 

 tively undiscernible. Judging such birds is 

 quite a task, comparable to assorting flowers 

 by star-light. The brighter shade alluded to 

 does not, of course, include the clay-coloured 

 breasts sometimes seen, nor top-colour in the 

 cocks like lacquered brass, any more than the 

 deep gold means red or maroon colour. 



" I used to like to see the deep rich gold on 

 the back of a cock, and do so yet in breeders, 

 for in the breeding yard it is better to have too 

 much colouring pigment than too little, the 

 tendency in breeding being rather to lose colour 

 than to gain. But, in show birds, I have come 

 to the opinion that the ' bright ' gold cock is the 

 one that catches the judge's eye, and is also the 



