BAN I'AMS.] 



POULTRY. 



[BANTAMS, 



then a marble egs; to fij^lit with, takinp; caro, 

 at the s:imo time, to prevent their access to the 

 liens or to any real egi^s. After a few weeks 

 the birds p;ave up their unprofitable labour, 

 and, as the keeper had anticipated, wholly 

 abandoned, for tlie future, all attempts to de- 

 stroy the hen or the actually laiJ ei,'";. 



"The black Bantam," says Mr. Dixon, "is 

 a 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 tlio thorough-bred 

 game-cock himself. Its combativencss, 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 they could safely be removed 

 from their mother. There were two cockerels 

 amongst them. They were little things, beau- 

 tifully shaped, but ridiculously diminutive — 

 fairy chickens, some of our friends called them. 

 They had not been with us long before the 

 liberal supply of barley began to excite them ; 

 and the two little imps spent the greater part 

 of their time in fighting, which only made us 

 laugh, judging serious injury impossible. But 

 shortly observing one unusually triumphant 

 (for it had always been a sort of drawn game 

 between them), and the other walking about 

 in an odd uncertain manner, though firm and 

 fearless, I found that this latter had both its 

 eyes closed from wounds received the day 

 before. I carried it to my dressing-room, to 

 relieve it by sponging, and set it on the staiu- 

 cloth, while I went to fetch some warm water. 

 Still blind, it began crowing vivaciously. In 

 a few minutes its eyes were unsealed, and it 

 was returned to the yard. But battle after 

 battle was immediately fought, and we were 

 obliged to eat one of the combatants to pre- 

 vent the mutilation of both. We can, con- 

 sequently, confirm the statements of those 

 who praise the excellence of their flesh, par- 

 ticularly if it be accompanied by a little good 

 bread sauce. One, that I have seen, was in the 

 constant habit of fighting, or rather sparring, 

 with a little spaniel that belonged to the 

 same owner. Though apparently attacking 

 each other with great fury, they never seemed to 



bo really in earnest. The arrival of strangera 

 was generally the signal for tlio commence, 

 ment of this sham figlit, which ended without 

 bloodshed as soon as one or both of the com- 

 batants were out of breath. The spaniel was 

 mostly the first to give-in, when the victor 

 evinced as much triumph as if ho had van- 

 quished a feathered foe. 



" The black Bantam, in his appearance, is a 

 pleasing little fellow. Ho should have a full 

 rose comb, clean and sinewy legs, glossy 

 plumage, with almost metallic lustre, of a dif- 

 fercnt tint to the glancing green of the Spanish 

 towl ; arched and llowing tail, waggish impu- 

 dent eye, and self-satisfied air and gait. The 

 hen is of a duller jett3'-black, is less knowing 

 in her manner, and, I think, in every way of 

 inferior capacity. These little black hens 

 liave great credit for fulfilling their maternal 

 duties well ; but I have found them less 

 afiectionate and careful than other Bantams. 

 They are great stayers at home, prowling very 

 little about, and therefore are desirable in 

 many situations, such as suburban villas that 

 are surrounded by captious neighbours. They 

 will remain contented with the ranf^e of a 

 moderate stable-yard, and the least bit of 

 shrubbery ; and will do much good by the 

 consumption of numerous insects. They are 

 reputed good layers during winter; but that 

 will depend on the liberality with which they 

 are fed. Cooks say that their eggs, though 

 small, are ' very rich ;' which means, perhaps, 

 that they contain a greater proportion of yolk 

 than those of larger fowls. Guinea-fowls' 

 eggs are prized for the same quality ; and any 

 one may, at breakfast, observe how much less 

 a proportion of white there is in them than in 

 those of the Turkey. Black Bantams' eo-ors 

 are smooth, tinged with bufl', decidedlv louc- 

 oval in most individuals, and with a zone of 

 irregularity towards the smaller end in some. 



" The new-hatched chicks are covered with 

 black down, which occasionally has a grevisb 

 cast under the belly : bill, eyes, feet, and legs 

 black. The female chicks are not bigger than 

 the queen of the black-and-yellow humble 

 bees, and their slender little legs appear fitter 

 to belong to an insect than a chicken, A 

 desire to obtain the largest possible brood, 

 induced me to hatch some under a great 

 Dorking hen, because she can cover so many 



S37 



