472 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



Dear's Game and Poultry Food, and a very small portion of custard, mixed together in a crumbly 

 paste. The custard is made of new milk and eggs, in proportion five or six eggs to half a pint of 

 milk ; the milk should be boiled in a kettle something after the fashion of a glue-pot The milk 

 being surrounded by water prevents it burning, which would prove very injurious to the chicks ; 

 the eggs, after being beaten up, should be added when the milk is boiling, and frequently stirred. 

 In a short time a nice thick custard is formed, which, after a slow boiling, should be turned out into 

 a hair sieve to thoroughly drain the whe}- out before using. I never use more than four or five 

 eggs daily to every hundred chicks ; clean well-water always by them. 



"Just a hint as regards Laced Bantams for breeding purposes: the cockerels should have a 

 very slightly sickle-feathered tzW, perfectly hen-tailed birds being often very unprolific." 



It will be observed that Mr. Leno, like Mr. Hewitt, remarks on the frequently sterile character 

 of perfectly hen-tailed birds; though we must add that we have heard from other breeders of cocks 

 perfect in this respect, which were as prolific as could be desired. Much depends on the run, the 

 general management, and the degree to which the birds are exhibited, specimens frequently shown 

 almost always proving sterile in this breed. 



With regard to breedir,^ Sebrights, very little can be added to the preceding remarks. In 

 the old " Poultry Book"* to which we have already referred, Mr. Hewitt makes three observations 

 which we have every reason, from inquiry, to believe are still true. The first is, that in their third 

 year many birds become grizzled with white, and consequently unfitted for exhibition. " Fre- 

 quently, however," he says, " have I found that in this state they produce stock far superior to those 

 that have been reared from these same birds in their pristine beauty." The second is, that the best 

 chickens are generally produced when the parents are over-sized ; which will be found probable 

 enough when the superior vigour of such parents is considered. The third is, that he generally 

 found his best-laced birds were bred from parents one of which was very heavily laced, while the 

 other was scarcely sufficiently so. " Why this should be," he says, " I know not, but I am confi- 

 dent that those that are best laced frequently produce offspring that are far from perfect in their 

 markings ; while those exhibited by myself, which have so often proved successful, were bred as 

 before stated." We may add that it is desirable to choose a breeding cock whose comb is as 

 bright as possible. We are not aware, in fact, that the livid comb is considered a particular merit 

 in any case, and if dark-coloured birds on both sides be bred from, it is apt to become almost black. 

 A neat comb is a great point, but rather rare of late, most of the combs now shown being low 

 behind, instead of the pike pointing rather upwards as in Hamburglis, which it should do. 



As to breeding the two varieties together, we have no doubt that it improves hardiness and 

 fertility, and is of occasional benefit to the Gold ; but we feel equally little doubt that it has ruined 

 the Silvers. Until last season (1872) we had not seen a pen of real Silvers for years, those so-called 

 being simply bad-coloured pale gold ; and in one case we actually saw two pens side by side, one of 

 which was called Silver and the other Golden, with scarcely a shade between them. This might be 

 a mistake, of course, though we much doubt it. We had began to think the beautiful Silver-laced 

 Bantam was altogether lost, when we heard from an old friend that two splendid pens had been 

 sent to a Scotch show ; and at the Bristol show soon after we saw ourselves two pens, the ground- 

 colour of which was as white and clear as the paper on which this work is printed. So singular was 

 the coincidence that we thought the Scotch pens must have been purchased by the English ex- 

 hibitor, and were much gratified to find this was not the case, but that there were two yards 

 which still possessed genuine Silver-laced Bantams. That crossing such birds with Golden often 



't> 



'The Poultry Book," by Messrs. Wingfield and Jolinson, 1853, pp. 200, 201. 



