534 



THE BOOK OF POULTRY. 



another sharp lacing. The chestnut ground en- 

 closed by the two lacings should be quite free 

 from smut, spots, or other foul marks, and be 

 one uniform shade of chestnut. The defects in 

 the hen, otherwise than in colour, are identical 

 with those of the cock. 



Two pens ought to be set up ; it is next to 

 impossible to manage with one. For cockerel- 

 breeding, choose a typical show specimen. There 

 must be no rust on him, and he must be sound 

 in wing-ends. Then look to his breast, that it 

 is broad, his shoulders prominent, no flat sides, 

 not too leggy, short in hackle and back, tight 

 and hard to handle. The hens to go with him 

 should have all these qualifications too. Colour 

 is not so material; shape, style^ and type come 

 first. Then choose them for preference of a 

 rich deep mahogany or chestnut, and from such 

 a pen you may expect good results. The 

 following season the pullets might be put back 

 to the sire, and the best shaped cockerels to the 

 hens. It is a splendid plan for keeping down 

 size. Moreover you are making your own 

 strain, and in a season or two will be able to 

 predict with almost certainty the kind of stock 

 you will get. In the pullet pen things will be 

 different. You want here correct colour and 

 lacing, and so you had better select your cock 

 with more or less indications of a propensity to 

 achieve these results. If he be slighty laced on 

 breast, or a bit red in hackle, all the better. Do 

 not sacrifice style, type, and character for a 

 moment, but having secured these, see that the 

 others exist also if possible. To him mate 

 clear chestnut ground, well-laced, typical shaped 

 hens or pullets. The lacing should be as sharp 

 and dark as possible, with a beautiful green 

 gloss upon it. See that they are low on leg, 

 broad at shoulder, and short in back, in fact as 

 ideal specimens as you can compass. From this 

 pen retain a couple of cockerels for next season's 

 breeding, in addition to the pick of the pullets. 

 The more the cockerels are laced the better ; 

 you are sure they are half-blood of the ideal 

 hens, and if they show it in their external 

 appearance, there is all the more chance they 

 will prove excellent pullet-breeders. When this 

 process has been going on for a few seasons, and 

 especially if cockerels have been put back to 

 their mothers, a large percentage of their blood 

 is pure pullet, and of the richest quality. In 

 fact a reliable pullet strain will have been set up, 

 and must go unmixed until such time as failure 

 to rear the chicks is evidence that a little fresh 

 blood should be introduced. It is, however, 

 possible to so conduct matters, by keeping two 

 lines going from the first, that after many 

 generations stamina is maintained. 



Aseel Bantams are occasionally seen, and 

 should of course possess all the points of their 

 parent race, without the very heavy eyebrows of 

 the Malay. Those exhibited generally have 

 been fairly true to points, but the breed seems 

 too nearly allied to the two preceding to obtain 

 any great measure of popularity. 



Black Spanish Bantams, although most 

 handsome, do not appear to make headway, 

 although single specimens exhibited by Mr. 



Thompson, of Kendal, and others, 

 Spanish have been as typical as the best of 



Bantams. their bigger brethren. They are a 



very taking breed, and when ex- 

 hibited find such a host of admirers, that I have 

 often wondered why they were not more popu- 

 lar. How they are produced I am not certain, 

 but should imagine that a small Spanish cock 

 put to a big-lobed Black Rosecomb hen, and 

 the produce bred back and in-bred, would pro- 

 duce the desired results. I should prefer a 

 rather large Rosecomb hen, with preference to 

 one showing white in face. Of course you 

 would get several Rosecombs from this cross, 

 and a few with the desired single comb. I 

 should breed as late as possible in the season, 

 in order to reduce the size. The best of he 

 pullets I should put back to the sire, and 

 afterwards in-breed as long as the chicks were 

 healthy and fairly easy to rear. The birds 

 should resemble their bigger brethren in 'every 

 point except size. 



Hamburgh Bantams appear to be at a 

 standstill , and were it not for Mi. Farnrworth 

 of Lincolnshire, it is more than probable the 

 variety would sink into jblivion. 

 Hamburgh The prettiest of them are t!ie Silver 

 Bantams. Spangles, evidently a cross oetween 

 the Haniburgh and Silver Sebright 

 Bantam, or White Rosecombs, either of which 

 would give the desired result, although a big 

 percentage of wasters would be produced from 

 either cross. Still, with patience and perse- 

 verance the ideal could be reached in time, and 

 once perfected they would be certain to become 

 popular on account of their beautiful colour 

 and length of feather. There is a good open- 

 ing in this variety for any fancier who is 

 prepared to devote time and patience to a very 

 pleasurable hobby. 



This is one of the latest recruits to Bantam 

 circles, and one that appears to find many 

 supporters, though in point of type and mark- 

 ings it does not make the headway we should 

 have liked to have seen. In both colour and 



