BLACK AND WHITE BANTAMS. 249 



perfectly clean. Comb a bright red rose. Ear-lobes white ; 

 face red ; in brief, the bird should resemble a miniature 

 Black Hamburgh. Cock not to exceed twenty, hen eighteen 

 ounces. 



There have been changes of fashion in this breed of 

 Bantams. At one time a slim, upstanding Gamey shape and 

 carriage were bred for. In reaction from this came a plump 

 body and cobby style of bird with high tail. The Ham- 

 burgh type as regards shape and symmetry is now accepted, 

 particular stress being laid upon neat combs and smooth, 

 well-developed ear-lobes. 



Black feather-legged Bantams have now and then been 

 shown under the name of Black Booted. We have seen 

 them with the foot-feather as long as their bodies. During 

 recent years they have been very much ousted by the far 

 more widely known Black Pekin, or Cochin breed. 



WHITE. Except that the legs are white and delicate, all 

 other points are similar to the Black Bantam, changing the 

 colour of the plumage from black to a spotless white. It 

 should, however, be remembered that while the white ear- 

 lobe is required by most judges, as in the black variety, 

 there are some who prefer a red, and this latter we must 

 express our own decided opinion is much the smartest 

 looking, and harmonises better with the white plumage. 

 The most usual fault is a yellowish colour in the cock's 

 saddle. A single comb is, of course, fatal. 



A very pretty feather-legged White Bantam was not 

 unfrequently seen ; but this also is nearly displaced now by 

 the White Cochin variety. 



NANKIN. This is one of the old breeds of Bantams, and 

 at one time nearly disappeared, but attempts have been 

 recently made to re-introduce it. The ground colour is a 



