446 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



and need not be so perfect in comb. It is 

 greatly to be desired that a return to the more 

 moderate combs and ear-lobes of the older Black 

 Hamburgh should moderate these tendencies 

 towards a double strain of birds, which have 

 already perceptibly diminished the spread and 

 popularity of the breed. 



The Black Hamburgh is one of the most 

 generally useful of all the varieties. It is of fair 

 size, enough to make a decent though not large 

 fowl upon the table, while the meat is of most 

 excellent quality. The egg also surpasses those 

 of other varieties, except perhaps of some Silver 

 Mooneys ; most of them will average two ounces 

 each, or eight to the pound, and some are more ; 

 and these are laid quite freely, many pullets 

 beginning early in November. Finally, the 

 variety is hardy, and appears to thrive best of 

 all the Hamburghs in confinement, having been 

 known to do well even in a covered run. This 

 merit is probably due to the Spanish cross, and 

 is the one benefit which that cross really has 

 conferred upon the breed. Black Hamburghs 

 are also little trouble for exhibition, though 

 more so than formerly, owing to the ear-lobes. 

 These need attention of the same kind as those 

 of Minorcas, if the birds have been exposed to 

 the weather ; and they should be either kept or 

 got into soft, kid-like condition, by washing and 

 the powder-puff, in the same way. As a rule, 

 shelter rather than darkness is required, though 

 a subdued light has good effect upon the lustre 

 of the plumage, as well as upon the white kid, 

 and a week in a dark pen is often necessary. 



Black Hamburgh chickens are, when hatched, 

 white on all the under-parts, the back and upper 

 parts black, sometimes with a shade of brown. 

 They are not always black all over, even in their 

 first chicken feathers, but become so with the 

 adult plumage. If disturbed or seized at night. 

 Blacks have the same screaming propensities as 

 we have already noticed in the Pencilled breeds. 



These notes were put together for our last 

 edition from a former article by the Rev. W. 

 Serjeantson, of Acton Burnell, Shrewsbury, 

 some subsequent notes and comments by him, 

 and one or two notes by Mr. Pickles ; and 

 still hold good. 



White Hamburghs were bred many years 

 ago in Lancashire — we can remember them 

 back to about 1866 — but afterwards died out. 

 They belong to the Pencilled 

 Various family, and were no doubt pro- 



Off-Colours, duced by breeding together the 

 lightest of these. About 1900 they 

 were seen again, plainly owing their revival to 

 the development of very white cock-breeding 



pullets, and for a time found a place in the 

 Standard. They lacked contrast for the white 

 ear-lobe, and are now apparently defunct as 

 exhibition birds. In breeding them, select 

 cocks with glossy and silvery white top-colour, 

 and neat heads. 



In our notes, collected durmg many years, 

 we find also mention of a Silver laced Ham- 

 burgh ; a Black Hamburgh laced with white on 

 the breast ; and a Buff or Gold-pencilled with 

 white instead of black. This latter could no 

 doubt be produced by crossing White with 

 Gold-pencilled : those seen were never liked, 

 however, the effect in this marking being dis- 

 agreeable. Mr. Beldon himself possessed at 

 one time a breed of Cuckoo or blue-barred 

 Hamburghs, which bred very true, and may 

 have resulted from crossing White with Black ; 

 but these also found no favour. 



The Buff Hamburgh has not gained a foot- 

 ing, for it lacks marking and lustre. Mr. 

 Beldon mentioned Buffs long ago, but we be- 

 lieve all known before 1870 had died out. Of 

 some since seen, little disguise was made of the 

 fact that they had been either made, or at least 

 improved by a cross with the Buff Leghorn, of 

 which a rose-combed variety has been several 

 times attempted. Another strain is stated to 

 have originated from a cross between a Gold- 

 spangled cock and a very light cock-breeding 

 Silver-pencilled hen. The dark legs will always 

 be a difficulty to keep up when combined with 

 clear buff plumage free from dark markings, 

 and such a colour seems to have nothing but 

 novelty to recommend it. 



The purest strains of all Hamburghs will 

 every now and then produce chickens with single 

 combs, the more especially when small and neat 

 combs are bred together. Such an occurrence 

 is no proof whatever of any cross in the strain, 

 as some have thought ; it is more probably a 

 reversion to the ancient progenitor of the 

 family. In this connection it is interesting to 

 note that the Turkish fowl of Aldrovandus 

 already referred to, appears to have had a single 

 comb, and that such a single-combed Pencilled 

 fowl exists to-day in the Braekel or Campine. 



Hamburghs have some drawbacks as exhibi- 

 tion fowls ; never looking so well in all points 

 after the first year. The Pencilled breeds in 



most cases lose the fineness of their 

 Exhibiting pencilling, and in all varieties the 

 Judging. ear-lobe generally loses much of its 



smoothness, and often becomes 

 tinged with red after that time, especially if 

 the birds are allowed to run at large. The 

 late Mr. Beldon was generally acknowledged to 



