4S4 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



even these, however, were scarcely equal in size 

 to the largest of his Silvers. Some of the 

 latter we know to have reached as much as 

 8^ lbs. in cocks and 6i lbs. in hens. 



The crests of both Spangled varieties are 

 relatively larger than in the White-crested 

 Black, and that of the cock generally spreads 

 more open ; but it is desired as free from any 

 hollowness or " pancake " formation, and as full 

 and round on top, as possible, rising well up 



round as a ball, and also <:hanges with her age. 

 The first year it is black in the centre and 

 edged with white, the width of this edging 

 differing with the heaviness of marking else- 

 where ; but after moult the centre becomes 

 white, with a heavy lacing of black (Fig. 130), 

 and later this may be edged with white, the 

 crest getting lighter, with perhaps some quite 

 white feathers, as the bird gets older. 



In regard to the rest of the plumage there 



Breast. Shoulder. Wing-bar. 



Fig. 131. — Feathers of Silver Spangled Polish Code. 



in front, and falling down towards sides and 

 back with no split or division. It has already 

 been intimated that beardless Spangles were 

 first known in England, and these were more on 

 a par with the Blacks in point of crest ; but 

 with the bearded race came great improvement 

 in this respect Taking the Silver for example, 

 and simply substituting a golden ground for 

 silver in the other breed, the crest-feathers of 

 the cock somewhat resemble hackles in struc- 

 ture, and are black at the base, white in the 

 middle part, and tipped with black at the ends 

 (F'g- 130). the white however increasing with 

 age. That of the hen should be filled up as 



have been considerable changes. The birds 

 first shown were spangled with round spangles 

 all over, except on the wings, which were always 

 more or less laced ; the remains of this marking 

 being seen in the hackles to-day. But this 

 spangling was never so perfect as in Hamburghs, 

 and the superior beauty of laced marking soon 

 brought it to the front, where it has remained 

 the accepted standard ever since. The beard of 

 the cock should be thickly laced, or very dark : 

 his hackles and saddle feathers tipped with 

 black ; the shoulders more heavily spotted, but 

 with a notch showing some little approach to 

 lacing ; the feathers of the wing-bars almost 



