^86 The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



Many good birds will not show to advantage through being wild and frightened. I therefore usually 

 put up the cockerels I intend for exhibition about a week before the show, keeping them in a wire 

 pen or cage, four feet long, two and a half wide, and two high. Feed them as usual, and now and 

 then add a few hemp-seeds and a few white peas, which will brighten the feathers. The hens, on 

 the contrary, should not be caged up, but have their usual grass-run up to the time of exhibiting 

 them ; for, as a rule, liens lose condition rapidly when penned up. 



"The 'trimming' required before sending the birds to show is simply to wash their heads, 

 legs, and feet clean, and to cut off close to the skin the stiff bristly feathers that stand up over the 

 eye of the cock, not touching the feathers that lie flat and in proper order. It is absolutely 

 necessary that all birds shown in one pen should match exactly in colour of eyes and legs ; and 

 when a pair of hens or pullets are shown, they should match in every point— head, eye, comb, 

 colour and marking, style, size, &c. 



" The best time to show pullets is as soon as they have acquired full feather, and before they 

 commence laying, say from four to seven months old. Cocks show best between six and fourteen 

 months of age, and are generally better the first year than ever aftenvards. The exceptions to this 

 rule are verj- rare, but I have had a few Black-red cocks that have won cups after their second 

 year, and in \exy strong competition. There are comparatively ver>- few Game Bantam cocks that 

 grow fine long sickle-feathers after the first moult, and they usually get too thick and clumsy- 

 looking at the same time, especially about the head and neck." 



Mr. Entwistle has so fully treated of every necessarj- point, that we have nothing to add 

 beyond one or two general remarks. We may observe that even at present there is a perceptible 

 improvement going on in the style and "gamey" make of these beautiful birds, so that everj' year 

 a greater number of specimens are shown which retain their beauty even during that second season 

 which has been quite correctly stated to be so fatal in general to these points. Much in regard to 

 this depends on good hard feeding and plenty of exercise, the best cock being in danger of growing 

 clumsy and stocky if confined and overfed. 



Game Bantams are hardy birds, and need little care, while on the table they make no bad 

 substitute for partridges. The hens are generally pretty good layers, and always make capital 

 sitters and mothers. The question of crosses we need not enter into, since to cross them is to 

 lose every point which makes them desirable. 



JUDGING GAME BANTAMS.— These Game fowls in miniature are to be judged very 

 .much as their larger brethren, only allowing due weight to size, or rather to want of it. It will 

 have been obser\'ed that the maximum weight for the cock is given by Mr. Entwistle as twenty-six 

 ounces, whereas the so-called "Standard of Excellence" gives the maximum weight as twenty- 

 four ounces, and states that all above that weight are " disqualified." On this subject we need 

 only repeat our remarks in the last chapter, only adding that in the case of Game Bantams they 

 have, if possible, so much greater force, that the alleged "disqualification" is perfectly absurd. 

 We have seen many a small symmetrical bird, of splendid shape and carriage, and " hard as 

 a nail" in flesh and feather, which for that very reason would -n'cigh more than the twenty-four 

 ounce limit, and more also than a much larger-looking, loose-bodied, and loose-feathered bird, in 

 bad condition, which yet would come within the " Standard." Even the twenty-six ounce limit, 

 though pretty safe, should not be pushed too far in case of a bird otherwise good in true Game 

 Bantam points ; and never to such a degree as to disqualify a good bird in favour of a lighter, but 

 in every other respect bad one. 



Game Bantam cocks not unfrequently have false sickles fastened in, and are also frequently 



