182 DIFFERENT BREEDS OF POULTRY. 



disappearance is the more to be regretted, as it seems to have 

 been not only the most ornamental, but the largest and most 

 valuable of all the Polish varieties. The hen described by Mr. 

 Brent dwarfed even some Malay hens in the same yard. 



We believe the colour of this variety may be recovered by 

 breeding from such birds of the kind next mentioned as show 

 any tendency to black in the crest, and carefully selecting the 

 darkest-crested chickens. Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier did commence 

 such an experiment, and succeeded perfectly in producing white 

 chickens with black crests, though they always became more or 

 less marked with white in subsequent moults. The attempt 

 was therefore discontinued, though a few years' longer perse- 

 verance would undoubtedly have established the strain true to 

 colour, in accordance with the principles laid down in Chapter 

 XL But the great comparative size, which all accounts agree 

 belonged to the old breed, we are afraid is for ever lost. 



WHITE-CRESTED WHITE. This breed, and those which 

 follow, differ from the white-crested Black Polands not only in 

 greater hardihood, but in having a well-developed beard under 

 the chin, in lieu of wattles. They are large fine birds, and the 

 crest is finer and more perfect than in most other colours. They 

 are also among the best in point of laying. The plumage needs 

 no description, being pure white throughout. This breed, 

 though not extinct, is now very scarce and seldom seen. 



SILVER-SPANGLED. In this variety the ground colour of the 

 plumage is a silvery white. Formerly birds were shown with 

 moon-shaped black spangles, and this was once considered 

 correct ; but the last birds we ever saw at any show of this 

 marking were in 1875, and for years past laced feathers have 

 been the correct thing, except that the cock's back shows some 

 approach to spangling occasionally. The sharper and blacker 

 the lacing is the better. The cock's sickles still show a broad 

 tip or sort of spangle at the end, as well as the edging, and the 

 ground is apt to be grey in these feathers, which dark colour, 



