815 



CHAPTER 



THE SMOOTH-LEGGED BANTAM. 



THE small White, and also the Coloured Bantams, whose legs 



A '-3 heavily feathered, are sufficiently well known to render a 



articular description unnecessary. Bantam-fanciers generally, 



with Sir John Sebright at their head, prefer those which have 



clean bright legs, without any vestige of feathers. 



The rule with fanciers is, that a thorough-bred Cock should 

 have a rose comb; a well-feathered tail, without the sickle 

 feathers, however; full hackles, a proud lively carriage, and 

 ought not to exceed a pound in weight. The nankeen- 

 coloured, and the black are the general favourites. 



They are said to have been imported, by the late Sir John 

 Sebright, from India. For perfection of model, and beauty 

 of plumage, nothing can exceed them. The pair portrayed 

 on the opposite page are in the possession of Mr. Wistar, of 

 Germantown, and were procured for him by a friend in Eng- 

 land. They are, as may be seen in the portraits, beautifully 

 marked ; the ground of the feathers being a rich orange-brown 

 or cream-colour, and each feather pencilled round the edge 

 with black, with the greatest uniformity. They are sometimes 

 called the " Sebright Jungle Fowl." They are bred in and about 

 London, also in various part of England and Ireland, with the 



