38 



THE BANTAM FOWL. 



BLACK TAILED JAPANESE BANTAM, 



Owned by A. A. Fenn. 



beak, legs and toes; the bright red face, comb and 

 wattles; pure white plumage of entire body; wings 

 partly black; and black tails, the sickles and coverts 

 of same edged with white, make a beautiful combination for 

 the breeder's skill to work into greater perfection. Their 

 long overbalancing tails and full plumage with their form 



and carriage of 

 body give them 

 a n appearance 

 unlike any other 

 fowl. A slight de- 

 scription, of their 

 general form will 

 represent them 

 all as to shape. 



The face of a 

 Japanese Bantam 

 should be full 

 and round from a 

 side view; eyes 

 large and bright; 

 comb rather 

 large, strong and 

 well serrated; 

 neck short, curv- 

 ing backward over 

 the body, almost touching the tail; back short; breast round 

 and full with a forward carriage; body short and plump; 

 wings long and drooping; the tail of the male long and full, 

 carried upright and forward almost touching his head; the 

 tail of the female should be carried nearly upright, a droop- 

 ing or hanging to either side is quite a serious defect; legs 

 very short and free from feathers, the shorter the shank the 

 better, just so the body is carried free from the ground. 



The Black Tailed variety should be a very clear white, 

 all except wings and tail. The primaries should be black, 

 edged with white. The secondaries, our standard tells us, 

 should be dark slate, edged with white on the upper web, 

 lower web white. We much prefer the black in wing of both 

 male and female, tail of both black. In the male the sickles 

 and coverts are edged all around with white. The tail cov- 

 erts of female same as body color. If of fine form and car- 

 riage and pure white with black markings, this is a beautiful 

 Bantam. 



The Black Japanese. Bantam should be a 

 pure black, if of a greenish luster so much 

 the more beautiful. Beaks, legs and toes in all 

 Japanese Bantams should be yellow, but in 

 Blacks they are apt to shade into a dark color. 

 This is allowable, and is often seen on the 

 richest colored specimens. The Whites should 

 be pure white. The Grays, very dark or black 

 in body color; the male marked in neck, back 

 and wings much like a Silver Dorking; the 

 female laced all over with the same silvery 

 color. Such well marked specimens are very. 

 6cai-ce. Usually the markings of both male 

 and female are very deficient. A few Buff 

 Japanese were shown at New York in 1897. 

 They are very scarce and not fully developed 

 as a distinct variety. 



In breeding these Bantams the most perfect specimens 

 obtainable should be bred together, not more than two or 

 three females to each male. The young chicks must be very 

 tenderly handled until six or eight weeks old. After reach- 

 ing this age they are quite hardy and will care for them- 

 selves if properly fed and housed in dry quarters at night. 

 Long grass makes a bad run for them when damp, as they 



are quite "sensitive to wet and damp surroundings. Being 

 so close to the ground their body feathers get wet and pro- 

 duce disease. 



FRIZZLED BANTAMS. 



Frizzled Bantams of the Japanese type are quite like 

 them in form. Some contend that they are of English ori- 

 gin, while others tell us they came from Japan. Their gen- 

 eral appearance would indicate their close relationship. 

 They look quite like the Japanese in shape and color. The 

 plumage of the whole body turns a reversed way. We will 

 treat more fully of them in our next chapter. 



JAPANESE BANTAMS. 

 BY HENRY HALES, RIDGEWOOD, N. J. 



The artistic genius of the Japanese so apparent in art, 

 is readily seen in his working with nature. In poultry 

 especially, extraordinary patience in selection and breeding 

 have produced some remarkable novelties in form and 

 feather. One of the most notable productions is the unique 

 little breed of Bantams called Japanese Bantams. What an 

 oddity! Its short legs hardly keep its wings off the 

 ground; its short body is almost covered by the hackle of 

 neck; its very large pointed flowing tail, almost If not quite 

 touches its saucy little head that is crowned with a neat 

 little comb over a pair of bright full eyes. These features 

 added to the quaint coloring of plumage make the Japanese 

 Bantam objects of peculiar interest to lovers of the beautiful 

 in the nature. In colors there are solid whites and solid 

 blacks. Then we have the oddity of white with black tails, 

 a peculiarity not found in any other breed of poultry; I have 

 bred them also with clear black and white patches, some- 

 thing like a piece of quilt work. When several colors are 



bred together, they 

 show sportive ten- 

 dencies. Some will 

 be buff, splashed, 

 and a mix-up of 

 many shades with 

 feet (one can hard- 

 ly say legs) of yel- 

 low, willow, and 

 black. I have found 

 that Grays, very 

 much like Birchen 



BLACK TAILED AND BLACK JAPANESE BANTAMS. 



Game colors, can be bred true; others of a golden color In 

 cocks, having either black or laced breasts; the hens a dull 

 black with yellow in hackles. One may see in Japanese 

 paintings these Bantams in a variety of colors, and I have 

 found in breeding with mixed colors there is a great variety 

 of rich colors-solid buff with feathered legs, all shades of 

 browns, reds, and pencillings were represented. 



