BLACK-LACED SATINETTES. 



ties so well, I feel sure the bird would have been 

 well up in the prize list. But he did love an 

 Oriental Frill with well clothed shins and feet. 



Now at about this time I had a keen desire to 

 try and produce black -laced Satinettes, and being 

 fortunate in securing the big-headed black cock 

 and hen, already referred to in Caridia's collec- 

 tion, although the cock was solid black except 

 for lacing in tail and a slight appearance of a 

 whitish bar, the hen was, as I have said, partly 

 laced . 



I got a pair of good eggs from this pair, but 

 disaster soon overtook me, for owing to my own 

 stupidity I lost the hen after sitting on the eggs 

 about a fortnight. They had a nest box on 

 the floor of my loft, and being very anxious not 

 to disturb the hen on the nest whilst cleaning 

 around, I turned the front of the box quietly to 

 the wall and forgot to turn it back again. I 

 went away for a week's journey, and the first 

 thing which attracted my attention on my re- 

 turn when going into my loft was that nest box 

 with opening against the wall. My worst fears 

 were realised. I had paid the penalty for my for- 

 getfulness, for on turning the box round I found 

 the poor hen was dead, and the eggs, of course, 

 cold ! Thus disaster befel my first attempt to 

 breed black-laced Satinettes. 



Just about at this time I had a blue-laced 

 Satinette hen, with very fine lacing, exception- 

 ally clear ground colour, and with a gay tail. I 



39 



