284 BIRDS 



carriage of these birds are extremely graceful, the tail 

 hackles and saddle of the cock being long and well de- 

 veloped. The tail in both sexes is carried low. The comb 

 is double or " rose," having a long spike at the rear. The 

 ear-lobes are of a distinctive character, being very large, 

 round and pure white in both sexes. There are two colors, 

 solid black and pure white, the former being more numerous 

 and averaging of better quality than the latter. The color 

 of legs and beaks corresponds with that of the plumage in 

 each variety. 



The Sebrights are a beautiful breed, but for some rea- 

 son of recent years they have declined in both numbers 

 and quality. This is one of the few bantams which do 

 not parallel larger birds, and almost the only one of this 

 group of which the origin is known. Early in the nineteenth 

 century. Sir John Sebright, a well-known English breeder, 

 created the Golden Sebright by crossing various bantams 

 and small fowl of rather uncertain antecedents; in fact, 

 the exact description of each bird concerned varies accord- 

 ing to different authorities. At any rate, the breed was suc- 

 cessfully evolved and soon became immensely popular and 

 very widely kept. The Silver Sebright was produced very 

 shortly afterward. 



The Sebright cock is an active, stylish bird, with head and 

 tail carried well erect. He is entirely " hen feathered," 

 however, and lacks all of the ordinary plumage ornaments 

 of the male fowl. The comb is rose, but seldom is found 

 to the same degree of perfection seen in the Rose-combs. 

 The hen is similar, the shanks being blue in each sex. There 

 are two varieties, the Golden and the Silver, the ground 

 color being a rich golden brown in the former and pure 

 white in the latter. In each case every feather is edged 

 or laced with a very narrow rim of the deepest black, cock 

 and hen being colored alike. Silvers of very fair quality 



