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THE AMEKICAN POULTERER'S COMPANION. 



BLACK SHANGHAI SUB-VARIETIES. 



The sub-varieties of the Shanghai fowl are 

 known as the buffs, yellow, cinnamon, white, 

 gray, black, and partridge- colored. 



The authors of the " London Poultry Book" 

 say " the whole class of Shanghai fowls, taken 

 collectively, constitute, properly speaking, but a 

 variety of the species. We may here, howev- 

 er, probably be excused if, adopting its more 

 popular meaning, we use the word ' sub-variety' 

 to describe those more minute divisions into 

 which every sort of poultry becomes in process 

 of time separated. 



" It is proposed to devote a few pages to a de- 

 scription of the several breeds or sub-varieties ; 

 to point out the comparative merits ; and to give 

 the best description in our power of each ; the 

 object being to enable the intending fancier to 

 make his choice with facility, to assist his im- 

 mature judgment in the selection, and, perhaps, 

 to suggest to his more experienced brother-am- 

 ateur the means of improving his stock by a ju- 

 dicious intermixture of blood, instead of con- 

 tenting himself with breeding on with his old 

 strain, or, being aware of the benefit of a cross, 

 contenting himself with the first which may offer 

 itself. Adhering to this outline, we will sup- 

 pose we are passing with the reader through a 

 show of Shanghais, and discussing the merits 

 and demerits, comparatively, of the several sub- 

 varieties, as they are usually classed by their 

 colors ; and that we may not appear to give 

 undue precedence to any, let us take them in 

 the order of their several shades. 



" The White, which are not yet very widely 

 diffused, have sold for great prices, probably on 

 account of their comparative scarcity. The 

 greater part of them are traceable to the breed 

 of the Dean of Worcester and Mr. Herbert of 

 Powick; although other imported specimens, 

 of which the writer himself possesses one, have 

 been introduced. In country districts, where 

 they have a nice lawn or clean fields to run, 

 they are very beautiful birds ; but in the neigh- 

 borhood of a town, we need not say they do not 

 shine. Like all other white varieties of fowls, 

 we do not consider them quite so hardy, or as 

 easily reared, as those of a darker hue ; nor do 



they usually attain the weight of some of the 

 other varieties. There are, however, many ex- 

 ceptions to this. Mr. Bowman has kept this sub- 

 variety in considerable numbers, and does not 

 consider them more difficult to hatch or to rear 

 than those of darker colors. We must remem- 

 ber, however, that Mr. Bowman lives in one of 

 the mildest districts of England. We believe 

 them to be equally prolific, and their appear- 

 ance will, no doubt, render them favorites with 

 the ladies. 



"GRAY SHANGHAI. 



" There is a Gray sub- variety or rather white 

 with penciled hackles and flake tail, which 

 afford a pleasing contrast, and are altogether 

 exceedingly pleasing to the eye, when kept clean, 

 and which (especially the cocks) attain a good 

 weight. Of these we have seen but few speci- 

 mens, and we have reason to believe that they 

 are also yet scarce. We have also seen some 

 mottled most uniformly all over with white and 

 gray, so as to entitle them to be distinguished 

 as the Cuckoo Shanghais. They were, however, 

 of weedy growth, long-legged, and not of at- 

 tractive appearance, even if certainly not of 

 mongrel origin. 



" The next color comprises the different shades 

 of Iwff and yellow, and this is the favorite class, 

 partly because it is exceedingly neat and pretty 

 in its appearance, and partly because it has been 

 ever sedulously cultivated, but most of all on 

 account of its including, beyond doubt, a larger 

 number of birds of first-rate quality, in other re- 

 spects, than any other sub-variety. For these 

 reasons we may be allowed to devote to its de- 

 scription a little more space than we may be 

 able to spare for each of the other colors. 



"BUFF SHANGHAI. 



" Of the Buffs, the cocks vary from a dark 

 ginger or red, to a light or yellow buff. The 

 former have the neck, hackle, and saddle of a 

 bright orange-red; the saddle-hackle feathers 

 are orange-crimson, and the rest of the body a 

 dark buff or bay, without any black, except the 

 tail and perhaps some of the quill feathers of 

 the wing. The yellow Buff is more of a lemon 

 color, but without white feathers, which give a 



