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NEW ENGLAND FARRIER. 



Nov. 



BANTAM FO^WLS. 



The Bantams, though ex- 

 tremely small in size are ele- 

 gantly formed and beautiful 

 birds. They are the Lillipu- 

 tians of the poultry tribe ; 

 very domestic in their habits, 

 and often making their nests 

 in the kitchen, if permitted to 

 do so. They require but lit- 

 tle food, and will thrive when 

 cooped up in a small yard, if 

 supplied with dry ashes, sand 

 and sunshine. Mr. Bement 

 says they arrive at maturity 

 early, are faithful sitters, good 

 mothers, and will lay more 

 eggs, though small, than any 

 other variety. Still they must 

 be considered rather as ob- 

 jects of curiosity than utility. 

 But if "a thing of beauty is a 

 joy forever," may not these 

 pugnacious, active, pompous 

 little creatures be ranked with 

 those cheap amusements which 

 please, occupy, and instruct the little ones of 

 our households, though the more sedate heads 

 of the family may prefer the stately Dorkings 

 or Brahmapootras ? 



The large cut shows a common variety of 

 Bantams. In the small cut is represented the 

 Sebright Bantam, which is pronounced by 



Mr. Bement as "the prettiest of all domes- 

 tic fowls." He says one of the most remark- 

 able characteristics of the Sebright cock is 

 the total absence of both hackle and saddle 

 feathers; he is also perfectly '■'hen tailed,'''' 

 that is, devoid of sickle-feathers ; the principal 

 feathers being straight and forming a square 



tail, like that of the hen, perfectly upriglit and 

 not inclining to either side. The comb must 

 be double, terminating in a well-formed point, 

 while the legs and feet are blue, and wholly 

 free from the least appearance of a feather. 

 There are two distinct varieties, well known, 

 one as the "Gohlen-laced," the other as the 

 Silver-laced" Bantam. Every feather from 

 the head to the tail of a well-bred Sebright is 

 "laced" or bordered all round the edge with a 

 line of pure black, about one-sixteenth of an 

 inch in width. 



The gait of a Sebright Bantam is the very 

 extreme of self-esteem, vanity, and self-assur- 

 ance, and when silently walking on a lawn in 

 search of insects in the grass, or hurrying 

 with the most agile and noisy impatience from 

 the too near advance of your favorite dog to 

 some friendly covert of evergreens, it is im- 

 possible to conceive a more lovely ornament 

 to your grounds, or one that claims more gen- 

 eral admiration and astonishment from those 

 who thus see them for the first time. 



