SI9 



CHAPTER XXXV. 



THE "variety" bantams. 



WE now come to another section of the Ban- 

 tam fancy, and there can be little ques- 

 tion what breed should stand at its head. 

 So long as it lasts Game Bantams will probably 

 reign supreme, but the beautiful Rosecombs must, 

 I think, come next, standing as they do without a 

 rival amongst "variety" Bantams. This being so, 

 I must, at the outset, regretfully warn my readers, 

 even at the risk of offending some of them, that 

 this breed lends itself but too freely to the arts 

 of faking, inheriting this defect from its ancestors 

 the Hamburghs, than which there are no birds 

 living more " manufactured " for the show-pen. 

 Giant strides have been made in really breeding 

 up to the ideal standards ; but nevertheless it 

 will not be overstepping the mark if I say 

 that 25 per cent, of the Rosecombs exhibited 

 at present are manufactured rather than bred. 

 This is a large percentage, and I admit it in the 

 hope that the reprehensible practice may be 

 stopped, and both exhibitors and judges be put 

 upon their guard against a real danger. For 

 nothing kills a breed sooner than this kind of 

 thing. If the novice or real amateur is the 

 back-bone of the fancy, then to get the upper 

 hand of him constantly through proficiency in 

 art, and not in science, is to smother his enthu- 

 siasm, as well as trample on his exchequer, and 

 it is earnestly to be desired that the Variety 

 Bantam Club, or the Poultry Club, or both, 

 will use all their influence to put down this 

 pernicious evil. 



Black Rosecombs are fairly hardy if not 



too greatly in-bred. The chicks, however, 



often require special care for the first few 



weeks of their lives, after which 



_" . they forge ahead, and are able to 

 Rosecomb 4. 1 j ^ I r 1 1 ■ 



Bantams stand a decent share 01 knockmg 

 about at shows, and indifferent 

 weather. They are capital layers, but a cold, 

 heavy, clayey soil is against them. A dry, 

 sandy, and somewhat shady locality is the best. 

 We want a rose comb fitting close to the 

 head, fine in points, full of work, bright coral in 

 colour, and finished off with a long, fine, round 

 leader or spike behind. See that the comb is 

 square and full up in front, with no valley down 

 the centre, or leafy in front, both bad defects. 



The face must be a bright cherry red, entirely 

 free from white, which often shows its approach 

 by a tiny white speck under the eye or round 

 and under the white deaf-car. This deaf-ear or 

 lobe must be round, thick, large, and white, of 

 smooth, kid-glove-like te.xture. The wattles are 

 bright red and well rounded ; eyes dark and 

 full ; head short and fairly broad, with dark 

 beak, slightly curved ; neck short and thick, and 

 heavy in feather, spreading well over shoulders ; 

 back short and broad ; wings not too long, but 

 fairly large, and carried rather low ; tail as full 

 of broad feather as possible, both in the tail 

 proper and in the hangers and sickles, which 

 cannot well be too long or too broad, or too 

 many in number. The bird throughout requires 

 the most ample flow of feather, and the carriage 

 is jaunty and important. Legs and toes black, 

 short, and fine, with either white or black nail.s. 

 Breast broad and prominent, carried somewhat 

 Fantail fashion, with head well thrown back. In 

 adult and old birds the legs will often be found 

 slate or pale coloured. The total weight should 

 be from 140ZS. to i8ozs, and in Blacks the green 

 sheen should be one of the characteristic beauties 

 of the bird. 



The hen should have the same red face, 

 comb, and wattles as the cock, only the two 

 latter should be much smaller than in the male. 

 See that the comb is not flabby, loose, and 

 coarse. The ear-lobes must be rather large, 

 with beautiful texture. The breast is full, 

 broad, and prominent, as in the cock. The 

 back should be extra short ; tail full, and car- 

 ried rather gaily; whilst legs are short and dark. 

 The whole carriage of the hen is strutty and 

 important. The wings may be fairly long and 

 drooping as in the cock, and as much sheen on 

 her raven feathers as possible should be secured. 



In the breeding of Rosecombs, the first great 

 care to be taken is to get a good, reliable strain ; 

 and when it has been got, stick to it. Do not 

 go chopping about here and there, and mixing 

 up everybody's strain with your own, or you 

 will greatly regret it some day in the extra size 

 and coarse quality obtained by such a thought- 

 less system of breeding. Keep therefore your 

 own blood, as pure as possible, watching the 



