HAMBURGHS. 211 



Pullets are bred from cocks too dark for exhibition, and 

 sometimes from hen-tailed cocks, which are not uncommon. 

 Only pullets usually bear showing, the marking usually 

 getting grizzled with age ; a hen which does preserve it well 

 is unusually valuable for breeding. 



GOLDEN-PENCILLED. The form of this breed is the same 

 as the preceding variety, and the black markings are 

 generally similar, only grounded upon a rich golden bay 

 colour instead of a pure white. The cock's tail should be 

 black, the sickles and side feathers edged with bronze ; but 

 tails bronzed all over are often seen. The colour of the 

 cock is always much darker than that of the hen, generally 

 approaching a rich chestnut. 



GOLDEN-SPANGLED. Whilst the markings on pencilled 

 Hamburghs consist of parallel bars across the feathers, the 

 varieties we are now to consider vary fundamentally in 

 having only one black mark at the end of each feather, 

 forming the " spangle." This black marking varies in shape, 

 and though only one variety is recognised in each colour at 

 poultry exhibitions, it is quite certain that both in gold and 

 silver there were two distinct breeds, distinguished by the 

 shape of the spangle. 



The best known of the two varieties, and the most often 

 seen, was the breed long known in Lancashire under the 

 name of " Mooneys," from the spangles being round, or 

 moon-shaped. The ground colour of the pure golden 

 " Mooney" Hamburghs was a rich golden bay, each of the 

 feathers having a large circle, or moon, of rich black, with 

 a glossy green reflection. The hackle should be streaked 

 with greenish black in the middle of the feathers, and 

 edged with gold. Tail quite black, even in the hens. 

 All the spangles should be large and regular in shape. 

 The cock of this breed was rather small, and was coarse 

 in head with reddish deaf-ears, the latter point being 



