THE BANTAM FOWL. 



43 



be that much has here been lost. What says Dixon, whose 

 book was published In 1850? 'Here Is a llttl« whipper-snap- 

 per! His ample tall, from whi(ih sickle feathers are absent, 

 is carried well over his back. His dependent wings nearly 

 touch the ground. He is as upright as the stlfEaet drill ser- 

 geant, or more so, for he appears now and then as if he 

 would fall backward like a horse that overrears himself.' 

 "What again, writes Mr. Hewitt in Tegetmeier's poultry 

 book? 'In the carriage of these birds we find the very ex- 

 treme of pride, vanity and self-importance. The feet are 

 raised in walking much more than in any o^ the other Ban- 

 tams, and planted again w'ith the greatest deliberation and 

 precision. When alarmed their deportment is most striking. 

 The wings drop to tbe ground, not listlessly, but as if deter- 

 tnined to make the most of their tiny proportions, while the 

 Tiead Is thrown back and the tail raised, so that they nearly 

 meet' Other writers lay stress on the nervous motion of the 

 Sebright cock, being almost like tbat of the Fantail pigeon. 

 These descriptions are hardly that of the Sebright of 1896. 

 -A large field, it seems to us, is open for the improvement of 

 the breed by intelligent fanciers in smallness and carriage." 



Even in England they are alarmed at 

 the backward step in this varielty of Ban- 

 tams. The most important feature of the 

 ■Sebri^t and the one most neglected is form 

 and carriage. The standard calls for a very 

 ■short back and a full round breast carried 

 prominently forward. The body should be 

 ■compaot, deep and short. On one very impor- 

 tant point the standard is silent, namely, 

 •carriage. This is the one very Important 

 feature of their make-up, as Mr. Hewitt 

 wrote many years ago: "They are the very 

 extreme of pride, vanity and self-impor- 

 tance." Their carriage should be upright 

 and striking, not drooped nor indolent. We 

 see too many long, ill-formed, unattractive 

 specimens to-day. They should be bred up 

 to the following foi-m and color: The Se- 

 brigbt should be valued as follows— First, 

 size and carriage; second, color and mark- 

 ing, always demanding perfection of all four, 

 for when either is wanting the combination 

 is broken and the true beauty gone. The color should be 

 tor the Golden, a rich golden yellow; for Silvers, a true sil- 

 very white. Any other color should not be tolerated. Both 

 should be distinctly laced all around each feather with a nar- 

 ■ row stripe or edge of black. Remember that any other color 

 is absolutely wrong and a wide edge or discoloration of any 

 kind In ground color is despicable. 



The first point, size or weight, as per our standard, is 

 wrong. The bird should be smaller. As to carriage, it is 

 almost lost. When have we seen such style a^ exhibited in 

 the cut of the Silver cock? Let all take lessons 

 -from the illustration furnished with these articles and try 

 to improve this most beautiful variety of Bantams. 



Another important feature is often lost sight ol, I. e., the 

 shape of the feathers of Sebrights. They should be almost 

 round, or quite so at the outer end; not oblorife or tapering. 

 The round feather when properly laced gives the right form 

 of coloring. When long and tapering the center has the ap- 

 pearance of an oval white or golden stripe on- the feathers. 

 This is a very grave fault, in fact so bad that we cannot ad- 

 vise the use of such a specimen under any conditions. 



Mating for best results is a matter of importance, and 

 but one method can be followed with hope of success. Al- 

 ways use. If possible, hens over one year old for breeders. 

 Whatever your females may be, have them small and perfect 



in color. If these females are light in the point of lacing, 

 mate them with a male that ia too heavy in lacing for the 

 show pen. If th'e females are heavily laced, mate them to 

 a light laced male. The tendency in this variety is to lose 

 in color and lacing. Never hope for the best results from 

 birds that are bad in color. None but the very best 

 of this variety is good enough to produce fine specimens. 



In regard to the male, study well the following: He 

 should be sound of ground color; if golden, rather a little 

 darker than the standard calls for, not on the reddish order, 

 but like a fresh shelled almond; if silver, the ground color 

 should be very clear, rather on the whitish order. Both 

 should be evenly and plainly laced with a rich, greenish 

 black. No mossy, smutty color of any kind ought to be 

 allowed, and we must never hope for good results if much is 

 present. Select one with this style of coloring and as little 

 bad' color as possible. 



Get the very best wing, comb and tail you can find with 

 the above color, and even then remember your selection is 

 only half made, for you must have with this, perfect form 

 and carriage, and small size. Always remember that twen- 



. t0PYI9U 



ey DELIA BL£ /'OUi-TK-Y .JOljliNUL 



A PAIR OF. GOLDEN SEBRIGHTS. 



ty-eight-ounce birds are not likely to produce sixteea-ounce 

 young stock. Two females with one male is better than 

 four. If you use a cock bird over two years old, give him 

 but one young hen. Always select birds with short, round 

 feathers, and not long and narrow. Look well to t.ho gtyl* 

 and carriage of both male and female. 



PROMINENT DEFECTS IN SEBRIGHTS. 

 BY PHILANDER WILLIAMS. 



About breeding Bantams, I do not know if I can impart 

 the knowledge I may think I possess. I have my ideas, but 

 seldom speak of them. 



In Sebrights, to keep the size down is one thing, and a 

 great thing for me. This I have done by selecting a small 

 male, with a small leg and as good color and shape as I can 

 get. In size I have never had any trouble when I confined 

 myself to my own strain. When I have introduced new 

 blood by importing or buying here I always have increased 

 the size. Comb, I never had any trouble about. I take care of 

 that as I do in my other breed. Shape, we all have lost in 

 Sebrights. Twenty-five or thirty years ago they were a 

 proud, strutting bird and very pretty. But now they are 

 long-bodied, and the ear-lobes may be white or red. To 

 me it is a great mistake; since they have lost shape and the 

 white ear-lobes they have lost their attraction for me, and if 



