43? 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



attempt to improve them by a cross, or they 

 may be improved the wrong way. If the pro- 

 duce is not satisfactory, try again ; but this 

 simple method of selection will rarely fail, and 

 is about the only one which can be given at 

 the present day. 



For cockerels pursue a similar plan. Get 

 the very best exhibition cock procurable, and 

 put him to a hen or hens obtained from some 

 good breeder, also of the cock-breeding strain ; 

 but in choosing them select birds with the 

 necessary points, viz. with smart, even combs, 

 and pure white, well-shaped ear-lobes. It is 

 often difficult to get a cock with really well- 

 spangled breast, but either lacing or too much 

 black should be avoided if possible, and also 

 light brown or yellow hackles, richness of ground 

 being another rather difficult point. Then, as 

 before, if the produce is good stick to it so long 

 as the pen will breed ; but if not successful at 

 first, try a change of mating until the produce 

 is satisfactory. While pedigree is the sheet- 

 anchor, as in other cases, it is by this experi- 

 mental method the best breeders make up 

 their Hamburgh pens until they have a strain 

 of their own, when of course they know its 

 qualities, and can mate up their breeders with 

 something like certainty. 



Except in the hackles and tails, the spangling 

 of this variety is so similar to the preceding 

 breed, that the representations of the feathers 

 will equally suffice for them, the crescentic form 

 of the old Yorkshire Pheasant spangling being 

 shown in Fig. 126, n. The latter old breed is 

 now practically extinct in an uncrossed form, 

 being superseded by a stock more or less crossed 

 with Mooney ; but its traces are still seen in 

 much tendency to light ground and yellow 

 hackles, and breasts laced or crescentic in 

 marking, or almost black near the throat. To 

 correct these faults, so much Mooney blood has 

 been used, that several winning pullets have been 

 known to be produced by what were known as 

 cock-breeding strains. ■» The Golden Mooneys, 

 on the other hand, often now have so much 

 better heads and ear-lobes than formerly as 

 to show much Yorkshire blood ; and although 

 most of the best breeders still employ separate 

 pens of what they consider " pure" strains, there 

 is a smaller school aiming at a greater degree of 

 amalgamation, which can also boast of some 

 success. The existence of these two schools has 

 led at times to debate whether the dark or light 

 — or as it was called in one discussion which we 

 remember, the red or the golden — ground-colour 

 was correct ; and perhaps the truth lies entirely 

 on neither side. As already remarked, the very 

 rich ground requires open-air and sun to do the 



plumage justice ; while rattier lighter colour 

 shows more contrast in the show-pen, and was 

 sought by some exhibitors for that reason. But 

 opinion has upon the whole settled down in 

 favour of the rich ground, almost mahogany ; 

 and though further blending may possibly go on 

 in order to improve the hens in size and ear- 

 lobes, it is essential to success in such a course 

 that there be kept in view as the main points, 

 the rich ground and green satin spangling of 

 the old Lancashire Mooney. No breeding that 

 preserves this in the hens, can go far wrong ; and 

 there is in this variety one motive which does 

 not exist in the case of Silvers (the Mooney in 

 Silvers being much the largest bird) for some 

 further crossing, in the small size and poorer 

 laying of the uncrossed Mooney strain. The 

 Standard itself now lays down that the colour 

 of the cocks is rich bright bay or mahogany, 

 and the wing-bows ticked ; and these points, 

 with the better spangling on breast which is still 

 badly needed, can only be arrived at by either a 

 little more Mooney blood, or breeding up to it : 

 while the white ear-lobes now laid down for the 

 hens, equally require a little more Yorkshire in 

 that strain, and more selection for lobe and head. 

 Could these points be improved, and size and 

 laying increased, without losing colour, and with 

 such further unification of blood, though more 

 or less double mating would still probably be 

 necessary, this variety of Hamburgh might 

 probably become one of the most popular, 

 instead of perhaps the least kept of any. 



Some of the chickens when hatched are dark 

 brown, striped with black, others very light, 

 almost yellow, depending doubtless on more 



Lancashire or Yorkshire blood. The 

 ^°''^®° first feathering also differs a great 



Chickens. deal, some being much lighter than 



others ; and many are pencilled on 

 the wings, but this is not so in all. There is 

 however little or no true spangling in the first 

 plumage, and on an average the darker chickens 

 prove the best ; but as this rule is not universal, 

 if the blood is known to be good, it is best to 

 await the adult plumage. Usually the bars of 

 cockerels are not sufficiently heavy in spangling 

 compared with the rest, or may appear semi- 

 laced. In that case it is usual to pull these 

 feathers gently out, beginning at the bottom of 

 the lower bar, and taking out two or three on 

 each side every day : the second bar in the same 

 way, till all have been withdrawn. The bars 

 usually come again much better spangled. 



Most of the early poultry books describe 

 amongst the varieties of Hamburghs a breed 

 known as the Redcap, which is undoubtedly 



