POULTRY KEEPING 535 



spangled, Golden-penciled, Silver-penciled, Black, and White. They 

 are all very pretty birds, and seldom fail to prove attractive and 

 profitable to the average breeder and fancier. Hamburgs are eco- 

 nomical fowls to keep ; besides being light eaters and great foragers, 

 they are prolific layers and nonsitters. The only thing against them 

 is trie smallness of their eggs. They lay a pretty, white-shelled egg, 

 but smaller in size than those of the Leghorn. There are some which 

 lay larger eggs than others, and by careful selection from year to yejar 

 of the birds which lay the largest eggs this defect may be remedied 

 and the size of the eggs improved. 



The Silver-spangled Hamburg is perhaps the most beautiful as 

 well as the most popular variety of the Hamburgs. Its proud car- 

 riage and graceful and symmetrical form command attention when- 

 ever seen. Breeders of Hamburgs universally adopt the following as 

 a standard for the breed : Comb, rose, square at front, tapering nicely 

 into a spike, which inclines upward slightly; top of comb covered 

 with small points, firmly and evenly set on the head ; face, red ; ear 

 lobes, moderate size, round as possible, and clear white; shanks and 

 toes, leaden blue; carriage, graceful; plumage, profuse. Golden- 

 spangled -color, bay and black; back, glossy reddish bay, spangled 

 with greenish black ; neck and saddle nicely striped. 



The feather markings of the penciled varieties differ greatly 

 from those of the spangled, the latter being commonly called "moon- 

 eyed," from the round or oval appearance of the spangles, while the 

 markings of the penciled varieties are in parallel bars of reddish bay 

 or black, or clear silvery white and black, as the case may be. White 

 and Black Hamburgs are solid white or solid black in plumage. No 

 standard weight is given for Hamburgs. 



ORNAMENTAL BREEDS. 



Polish. One of the oldest breeds of poultry is the Polish, its 

 ancestry being traced as far back as the sixteenth century. Among 

 the varieties mentioned in those early days was the "Woolly" fowl, 

 similar to the silky fowl of to-day. Mention in history is also made 

 of the "Frizzled" fowl, the "Persian" fowl, the "Turkish" fowl, and 

 tho "Crested" fowl. The latter is described as being a fowl with a 

 lark's crest. Another variety is known as the "Patavinian" fowl, 

 which is believed to bo the progenitor of the Polish breed. The cock 

 is described as exceedingly beautiful, being richly decorated with 

 five colors, black, white, green, red, and ocher. The 'body is black, 

 the neck covered with white feathers, and the wings and back partly 

 black and partly green; the tail is the same, but the roots of tho 

 feathers are whitish, and some of the flight feathers are also white. 

 The eyes are surrounded with red circles, the comb is very small, 

 the bill and feet are yellow, and the head is adorned with a beautiful 

 crest. In the hen there is no white except the white pellicle at the 

 opening of the ears. She is altogether of a greenish-black color, 

 with yellow feet and a very small comb slightly tinged with red. 



The general characteristics of the Polish are those of small to 

 medium sized fowls, larger than tho Hamburgs; a full, round breast, 

 carried well forward; the neck of the cock beautifully arched; a 



