169 THE FANTAIL. 



It was not clean cut, but had a mottled neck and breast, 

 like the old Dundee birds. 



English Fantails. 



Twenty-five years ago, when shows began to get common 

 in this country, white Fantails of a large size, with little 

 action, loose in feather, and with immense tails, which were 

 sometimes carried right over their backs, entirely concealing 

 the latter, were often exhibited. Scotch fanciers, whose ideas 

 of a Fantail were all towards high style of carriage, could 

 not endure these non-shakers, which, though called English 

 Fantails, were, I believe, if the truth were told, nothing but 

 imported Calcutta birds, or their immediate descendants. The 

 battle for precedence between the two breeds — for they are 

 distinct breeds — then commenced, and it has ended in a com- 

 promise. English Fantail fanciers have crossed their large, 

 motionless birds with the small Scotch shaking breed, and 

 Scotch fanciers have bred for tail, so that both can now 

 meet on the show bench with more equality than formerly. 

 For my own part, I like the old breed of small, roimd, 

 compact, close-feathered, dancing birds, which I never tire of 

 admiring, as they are ever on the move. At the same time, 

 they are seldom seen with the tails necessary for show 

 birds, to breed which is the difficulty. They breed very true, 

 although they have often been crossed to make them en- 

 tirely white ; and, except for the size, shape, and carriage of 

 tail, they can so easily be bred good, that they present little 

 scope for competition. 



Fancy Points. 



The properties of the Fantail are as follows: — 

 Size. — Other things being equal, I prefer the Fantail as 

 small as possible. I weighed a cock and hen, matured birds, of 

 the Dundee shaking breed, and they were 12oz. and lOoz. respec- 

 tively. The hen was extra small, the cock of an average size. 



Q 



