WHITE-CRESTED BLACK POLISH. 



453 



times so startled that they may even die from 

 shock, while many eggs prove barren. The 

 more skilled fanciers of to-day adopt expedients 

 to prevent this ; and in England it has been the 

 custom to cut off the crests of both sexes after 

 exhibition is over, in the case of laying and 

 breeding stock. The American plan is more 

 usually to tie up the crest, which is also often 

 done if required to get it into better shape, or 

 more perfect symmetry; as, for e.xample, if it 

 tends to grow one-sided, or open in the centre. 

 Sometimes two or three small india-rubber 

 bands will keep the crest together and out of 

 the eyes : sometimes it may be quite bandaged 

 up in narrow tape : more usually threads are 

 passed round and through as required, by the 

 help of a needle — not of course through the 

 quills. The crests are often tied up even for 

 a railway journey. In one or other of these 

 ways, unfertile eggs and irregularity of feeding 

 may be avoided. 



The varieties of Polish generally recognised 

 at present are white-crested Blacks, Gold and 

 Silver Spangled, and Chamois or Buff Laced. 

 Others can only receive mention. 



The White-crested Black Polish is tolerably 

 uniform in size, the finer specimens usually 

 reaching about 6 lbs. in the cock and 5 lbs. 

 in the hen. Our own opinion is 

 that it is usually the most delicate 

 of the varieties ; but Mr. Peter 

 Unsworth, who bred it many 

 years, reported it as hardy even in a wet and 

 damp situation. The body is neat and compact, 

 with fine bones and a flowing tail in the cock ; 

 and the carriage, as in all Polish, may be best 

 described as suggestive of foppishness in the 

 cock, and inquisitiveness in the hen. The 

 plumage of the body is glossy black, of the 

 crest pure white, except that there are always 

 a few black feathers, the fewer the better, in the 

 front over the nostrils, which it is a pity are not 

 mentioned in the Standard, as they are always 

 there unless trimmed away. The face is smooth 

 and red, wattles rather long and red, ear-lobes 

 small, round, and white, beak dark, legs dark 

 blue or nearly black. The comb should be 

 practically absent, but on close inspection two 

 very small horns can generally be discerned. 



In breeding this variety, the chief point is 

 to get birds with as good crests as possible 

 on both sides, as regards both size, shape, and 

 colour, in which is included snowiness of the 

 white, and the fewest black feathers. If some 

 choice has to be made of defect, a good large 

 crest in the cock is of more importance than 

 in the hen. A single mating will breed both 



Wliite-crested 



Black 



Polish. 



sexes alike good, if the parents are satisfactory; 

 though of course if a good-crested cock is 

 mated with hens not so good, more well-crested 

 cockerels than pullets are likely to be produced. 

 The same remarks apply to the White- 

 crested Blue Polish. 



Spangled Polish are bred in two colours, 

 Silver and Golden, in which alone their differ- 

 ence consists. The Gold would appear the 

 oldest and strongest strain, as a 

 Gold aud Silver g^eat many instances are recorded 

 Polish. of Silvers breeding Golden speci- 



mens, while we can remember 

 hardly any case of Golds breeding Silvers. 

 Golds and Silvers have been crossed by many 



Cock Hen Hen 



(Young). (First Year). (Second Year). 



Fig. 130. — Crest Feathers, Spangled Polish. 



breeders at different times, the produce being 

 almost always distinct Gold or Silver, without 

 weakening of either colour. Notwithstanding 

 this evident community of blood, the Silvers 

 exhibited have as a rule been larger than the 

 Golden, though some very large and fine 

 Golden Polish have been exhibited by the late 

 Mr. Joseph Partington * on various occasions ; 



* Mr. Partington had kindly undertaken the article on 

 Polish for this work ; but his death in the summer of 1901, 

 deeply regretted by many for other reasons, suddenly deprived 

 us of his valuable aid in that manner. This article is written 

 partly from details gathered from him at different times ; partly 

 from some notes kindly sent by the Rev. Godfrey J. Horner ol 

 York, son of the late Dr. Horner ; and partly from a few notes 

 or comments made on his former articles by the late Mr. Henry 

 Beldon. 



