322 THE SMOOTH -LEGGED BANTAM. 



The plumage of the Hens is similar to that of the Cocks. 

 They are* very good layers, most excellent sitters, assiduous 

 and affectionate mothers, but most murderous step-mothers : 

 that is, if you attempt to change, or add to, the number of the 

 brood they have hatched themselves, they will welcome the 

 little strangers by making raw-head and bloody-bones of them 

 before you can return from fetching a pan of water to set before 

 the coop. Their own Chickens are dark-brown when first 

 hatched, with no particular marks about them whilst young. 

 This is the variety figured by Moubray as the " Bantam or 

 Pheasant Fowls." 



THE SEBRIGHTS are divided into two varieties, the Gold- 

 laced, and the Silver-laced. The model G-old-laced Cock 

 should be of a brilliant brownish yellow, with every feather, 

 including his neck-feathers, narrowly laced or marginated with 

 black all round them : his flight and tail-feathers of the same 

 ground-colour as his body, but tipped, instead of laced, at the 

 ends with black ; rose comb nicely pointed behind ; his legs 

 dull light-blue ; his weight not to exceed twenty ounces. The 

 Gold-laced Jlen should correspond in all particulars, except 

 weight, which must not exceed one pound. Silver-laced Ban- 

 tams are precisely the same as Gold-laced, in all respects except 

 the ground-colour, which should be as nearly white as possible, 

 although they are generally inclined to be of an exceedingly 

 light and delicate cream-colour. 



THE BLACK BANTAM is a most beautiful example of a great 

 soul in a little body. It is the most pugnacious of its whole 

 tribe. It will drive to a respectful distance great dunghill 

 Cocks five times its weight. It is more jealous, irascible, and 

 domineering, in proportion to its size, than the thorough-bred 

 Game Cock himself. Its combativeness, too, is manifested 

 at a very early period. Other Chickens will fight in sport, by 

 the time they are half-grown, but these set to work in good 

 earnest. One summer we bought a small brood, as soon as 



