236 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



whose breast-lacing is decidedly rather broad or dark, and 

 whose lower tail-coverts are laced with clear -ground centres. 

 These well-laced lower coverts appear necessary to breed 

 well-laced, clear cushion feathers in the pullets. If only 

 one pen can be put up, most breeders prefer to put 

 with such a cock or cockerel, as first described, a couple oi 

 the dark birds there mentioned, and others nearer to 

 standard lacing, and above all, clear and sharp on the 

 cushion. Then the first pair will probably breed good 

 cockerels, and the lighter ones fair pullets. 



Buff-laced have recently been produced, in which the 

 colour is buff beautifully laced with white, instead of black. 

 As in the case of Chamois Polish, the lacing seems more 

 accurate than when the marking is black. Good classes 

 have appeared at the Crystal Palace, but the breed is in 

 very few hands, and its popularity remains to be seen. 

 There appear to be two quite distinct strains. In one the 

 buff is very dark, almost a bay, and the white edging very 

 crisp and bright, but with very plain approach to blue lacing 

 at top of the breast this blue may probably show descent 

 from Andalusian. The other is a lighter buff, with a 

 broader white lacing not so sharply cut out, but is quite 

 free from the blue tinge anywhere. 



White Wyandottes were probably in the first place a 

 sport from silvers, but have been aided by a white Dorking 

 cross, which has left its mark in coarse combs and a rather 

 Dorking body, points which still need attention. Needing 

 less care, except in 'these features, this is no doubt the 

 hardiest and best layer among all the varieties. 



Buffs were produced by a Cochin cross. It is still very 

 difficult to find birds free from black ticks, or white feathers. 

 In breeding there is little chance unless a cockerel can be 

 secured of sound even buff colour, a shade or two darker 

 than desired, with hens even all over, and free from black 



