BABH'-TABD FOWLS. 1109 



variety. In the cocks, however, there is a general absence of these mark- 

 ings, the birds being either white or bay. In both sexes the legs are blue, 

 with fine bone. The comb is a rose, square in front and well peaRed be- 

 hind ; the ear-lobe a well-defined white ; the face scarlet. 



in weight and size, Silver-penciled Hamburgs are considerably below 

 the general standard ; the carriage of the cock is very erect ; the tail is 

 well borne up, and the head occasionally thrown back so far that the neck 

 often touches the tail ; the general form is exceedingly neat and elegant. 

 In the hen the carriage is sprightly and active, but not so impudent as that 

 of the cock ; both sexes are alike noisy and restless in their habits, neat 

 and very pretty in their form. The neck-hackle in both should be pure 

 white ; penciling with black, a very frequent fault in the hackle of the 

 hens, being very objectionable. The saddle of the cock must be pure 

 mealy white. The cock's tail is black, the sickle and side sickle-feathers 

 beiug glossed with green, and having a narrow white edging. In the heae 

 the tail must be distinctly barred or penciled with black. 



The breast and thighs of the cock are white, as are the upper wing-cov 

 erts or shoulder, but the lower wing-coverts are marked with black on the 

 inner web, showing a line of dots across the wing, forming a bar. The 

 secondary quills, or those flight-feathers which are alone visible when the 

 wing is closed, are white on the outer web and blackish on the inner web, 

 and have a rich green-glossed black spot at the end of each feather. In 

 the hens the entire plumage of the body, namely, that of the breast, 

 back, wings, and thighs, should have each feather distinctly penciled oi 

 marked across with transverse bars of black ; the more defined these are 

 the better, as there should be a perfect freedom from a mossy appearance, 

 which is caused by the two colors running into one another. The legs 

 and feet in both sexes should be of a clear leaden or slaty blue. The 

 comb in the cock is evenly set on the head, square in front, well sprigged 

 al)ove with small, even points, not hollowed on the upper surface, andter- 

 mhiating in a single flattened pike behind, which inclines slightly upwards. 

 In the hen the comb is the same in form but very much smaller. The 

 ear-lobe in both sexes must be a dead opaque white, free from red on 

 the edge. 



The hens of either variety must have the body distinctly and definitely; 

 penciled, and the hackles of either sex mu£t be entirely free from dar^ 

 markings. In the spangled varieties the markings must be distinct, like 

 spangles, or speckled. The other characteristics range uniform with 

 those of the other varieties. Whatever the variety, they are most valu- 

 able either to the farmer or fancier, but with the fanner, unless he be a 

 fancier as well, if a little off color in breeding it is no '*''*nmeuU so far 

 as egg-lapng is conoeroed. 



