212 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



common to the hens also. Many of the cocks were also 

 hen-feathered, and such were once shown. 



The second variety was known chiefly in Yorkshire as 

 " Pheasant fowls," and differed greatly in the plumage. 

 Instead of the spangles being round, as in the " Mooneys," 

 they were crescent-shaped, approaching the character of 

 lacing ; the marking was also seldom so sharp and definite, 

 being often a little "mossed." In the cock the crescent 

 spangles on the breast ran so much up the sides of the 

 feathers as really to bec'bme almost a lacing. But the ears 

 were white, and the cocks had much smarter and neater 

 combs. 



At first Yorkshire cocks were shown for their smart 

 heads, with Mooney hens. Then the cocks were bred 

 between Yorkshire cocks and Mooney hens ; and this lasted 

 for many years. Two sets of birds were still required, pure 

 Mooneys for the hens, and the cross for cocks ; gradually, 

 however, the mixed blood began to be used on the pullets 

 to improve their red deaf-ears, and thus the strains slowly 

 amalgamated, combining the good points of each ; until 

 pullets are found with all the Mooney marking and 

 good heads, while some of the cockerels have all the 

 marking needed for pullet breeding. At last, therefore, 

 breeding has become comparatively simple, it being suffi- 

 cient to select hens or pullets large and good enough in 

 marking, and with good heads, and then to mate them 

 with a cock as deeply spangled as possible. This is how 

 Spangled Hamburghs are now usually bred, though a 

 few still profess to breed Mooney pullets pure. Even in 

 these, however, the white ears betray the foreign blood. 

 The present Gold-spangled cock has a jet green-black tail, 

 and is spangled as regularly as possible, especially in regard 

 to two bars of spots across the wing. Some birds, almost too 

 dark for exhibition, if good in head, breed excellent pullets. 



