HAMBURGHS. 213 



SILVER-SPANGLED. In this class two similar varieties 

 existed. The Lancashire silver "Mooney," with large 

 round spangles, resembled the golden, substituting a silvery 

 white ground colour. The outside tail feathers in the hen, 

 however, differed from the golden Mooney, being silvery* 

 white, with only black moons at the tips. The moons on 

 wing covert feathers in both sexes should form two black 

 bars across the wings ; the more regular these bars the 

 more valuable the bird. The Silver Pheasant-fowl of 

 Yorkshire had smaller spangles, and not so round, without, 

 however, running into the crescent form of the Golden 

 Pheasant-fowl. The tail was white in both cock and hen, 

 ending in black spangles. The cock's breast had also far 

 less spangling than the Mooney breed. 



The history of this variety resembles that of the pre- 

 ceding. At first hen-feathered Mooney cocks were shown ; 

 then Yorkshire Pheasant cocks ; then followed the gradual 

 amalgamation ; and at present most breeders follow the 

 simple method of putting the most perfect hens or pullets 

 to promising dark and heavily-spangled cocks, as already 

 described. 



Many Spangled Hamburgh chickens are pencilled in 

 their chicken feathers, the true spangling only appearing 

 with the adult plumage. This goes to show the original 

 unity though, doubtless, very far back of the spangled 

 and pencilled races. 



BLACK HAMBURGHS. There is much doubt about the 

 real origin of this fowl. Many think it was first produced 

 by crossing Silver-spangled with Spanish ; and the frequent 

 signs of white round the eye, the smooth lobe, and the 

 larger egg, are strong arguments for this ; also many birds 

 used to be seen with a sort of spangle of extra iridescence 

 on the ends of the feathers. The greater size and darker 

 legs are also quoted. But old fanciers affirm that the breed 



