BREEDING SILVER-PENCILLED HAMBURGHS. 



4-13 



feathered pullet-marked type, he will speak for 

 himself: the pencilling will show what he may 

 be expected to do. If he is of the full-tailed and 

 black-tailed type, the fineness of the wing- 

 pencilling is still some guide, but one's real 

 dependence, if purchasing, must be upon the 

 breeder. After a while, of course, the fancier 

 will have matters in his own hands. 



This change in Silver-pencilled Hamburghs 

 and their breeding has not been without injury, 

 and the variety is not without some drawbacks. 

 The persistent breeding for fine pencilling has 

 very perceptibly diminished the size of the fowl 

 from what it once was, and increased its delicacy. 



career is over, and they are valueless except for 

 breeding. A very small proportion preserve 

 their fineness of marking ; and such are particu- 

 larly valuable as breeding stock. It would very 

 much increase their popularity if they could be 

 made to last ; and it is probable that this might 

 be effected if opinion would only tolerate a 

 slightly coarser pencilling, but still finer than 



Wing. Cushion. 



Fig. 128.— Feathers of Silver-pencilled Pullet, 1870. 



The feathers in Fig. 128 are not only coarser in 

 marking than the others, but it will be seen that 

 they are considerably larger, which means that 

 they came from a larger bird. Such dwarfing 

 means also a smaller egg, and a weaker consti- 

 tution, the Pencils being notoriously subject to 

 roup. The best antidote to this is the free 

 open-air system. One reason for it is, that 

 finer pencilling is generally bred from pullets 

 than from hens ; and in the long run such 

 breeding, from small birds, always produces 

 weakness. 



This is connected with what is perhaps the 

 greatest drawback of all in Pencilled Hamburghs. 

 As a rule the pullets, especially Silvers, can only 

 be shown as such : after the first moult the 

 pencilling usually becomes coarse, and their 



that of years ago, and with the greater straight- 

 ness now attained. The ear-lobes turn coarse 

 also, but in a hen this is tolerated if the pencil- 

 ling remains good : as in the Mooneys, it must 

 be put up with if perfect marking alone is to 

 be considered. 



Pencilled Hamburghs have one rather 

 curious characteristic, quite apart from their 

 markings. If taken up, or roughly disturbed, 

 or terrified, especially at night, they scream in 

 a very peculiar way, and with a persistency 

 (unless let go) that makes a very effectual 

 alarm in the case of poultry-thieves. 



The Golden-pencilled Hamburgh is in every 

 respect save ground-colour similar to the Silver- 

 pencilled breed. The ground-colour in the 



