BEED BLACK-LACED ACCIDENTALLY. 



them ! Accepting an invitation to visit his lofts, 

 I quickly discovered the secret of his producing 

 black-laced. I found amongst his stock a black 

 hen, with laced tail — a bird similar in all respects 

 to the black cock from which mine had descended, 

 and which I discovered had been bought from the 

 loft of Mr. Joseph Smith. This, no doubt, was a 

 bird which had been produced in Mr. Smith's 

 efforts to breed black -laces. 



The following year, 1898, Mr. Watson suc- 

 ceeded in breeding an excellent black-laced cock, 

 which he very generously presented to me, and 

 which helped me considerably in further estab- 

 lishing the breed. Each year after that we ex- 

 changed birds of this colour, until we had them 

 thoroughly established and reliable. In 1897 I 

 also bred a dun -laced which proved most useful 

 in mating with the blacks. From 1900 on we 

 began to get a nice sprinkling of this colour. 

 In 1901, from a Watson cock, mated to one of 

 my hens, I bred two magnificent hens, one of 

 which won the challenge trophy for best young 

 Satinette, under the late Mr. T. W. H. Ashton. 

 These two hens proved very reliable in producing 

 some really tip-top specimens. 



By this time my collection of black and dun- 

 laces were, both in quality and quantity, very 

 strong. I decided to dispose of a few pairs to 

 any fancier who cared to have them. They at 

 once became very popular, both with fanciers and 

 in the show pen, and in many cases where classes 



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