Marking of Spangled Polish. 397 



at the bottom of the feathers, white in the middle, and tipped with black at the end ; but as they 

 get older the crest becomes whiter, till it is nearly all white. 



" The beard should be full and ample, and very dark ; the neck-hackle also very full, and 

 every feather from the head downwards tipped with black ; but the hackle also generally gets 

 lighter after the first moult. The breast should be well and evenly spangled with half-mooned or 

 crescentic spangles, the back, wing-bow, and saddle-hackles well spotted with black ; the wing- 

 coverts heavily laced, so as to form two laced bars across the wing, and the secondary quill-feathers 

 also well laced. The tail-feathers may be either white or grey, with a good moon at the ends 

 of the sickle and side-feathers ; these side-feathers being also well laced with black. I say the tail 

 grey (besides the black marking upon it), finding from all my experience that these darker-tailed 

 birds always breed better marked chickens, the white-tailed often producing birds too light in 

 the lacing; I believe that on this account our best judges also like the dark-tailed birds the 

 best. The legs should be slaty-blue. The beak is horn-colour. The colour of the ear-lobes is of 

 no consequence, as they cannot be seen, but they are generally white. 



" The crest of the hen should be full and globular ; the larger, of course, the better, provided it 

 is of good shape. It should be round as a ball, with no split or parting whatever in the middle. 

 The colour of the crest when the pullet has got her first year's feathers is usually black at the base 

 and up the middle of the feathers, edged with white, the width of the edging varying ; but after the 

 first year this rule is precisely reversed, the bottom and centre of the feathers becoming white, with 

 a black edge or lacing — that is, such feathers as are black — but after the first year many feathers 

 become wholly white, and the crest, as a rule, becomes lighter as the bird gets older. The beard 

 should be full and ample, well mottled with black and white ; the neck-hackle white, well striped, 

 or rather laced, with black ; back, wings, and other parts, every feather a sort of half-moon spangle 

 at end, well laced up the sides {i.e., a lacing all round, but much thicker at tip of feather), and bars 

 heavily and regularly laced, as in the cock. The tail is white, well marked at the end, and laced up 

 the sides; The breast runs more towards a heavy crescentic spangling. 



" The laced marking thus described is now the recognised style of marking. We used to have 

 a really spangled breed, or rather it would be more correct to call it semi-spangled ; but these 

 birds now find no favour, the laced marking being considered the only correct thing. It certainly 

 is far superior in beauty. 



"GOLDEN-SPANGLED POLISH. — In this variety the marking is the same in every 

 respect as that just described, except in the ground-colour. In the cock this should be of a 

 bright red on the crest, hackle, .back, saddle, and wings ; while the breast, under parts, and tail are 

 a reddish brown ; but the black markings are exactly the same as in the Silvers. The ground- 

 colour of the hen is a golden brown ; I would describe it as midway between the colour of a 

 Golden-spangled and Golden-pencilled Hamburgh — not quite so red as the one nor so yellow as the 

 other. The marking is, however, the chief thing ; and if this be heavy and deep any rich golden 

 ground-colour will do. This black marking, like the cock's, precisely resembles that of the Silver- 

 spangled. 



" The breeding of the two varieties is also similar. In putting the birds together, those with 

 the largest and best crests should be chosen ; this being the chief point, and any deficiency here 

 being surely transmitted. However good a bird may be in lacing, if short of crest it is no use for 

 exhibition ; crest, therefore, must be secured to produce high-class specimens. Birds should also 

 be chosen without any sign of comb, as this undesirable point is rather apt to appear when not 

 wished. Formerly most Polish fowls showed a small two-horned comb, but by degrees the 



