THE BANTAM FOWI,. 



47 



favor the white bill and legs, knowing as we do, that our 

 Standard prefers them yellow. Our experience tells us that 

 these colors add or detract from the pureness of both plum- 

 age and ear-lobes. The yellow beak and legs have an Influ- 

 ence over the color of both, and the color is much purer 

 when the white leg is well established in the blood. 



To Mr. B. Hutton the credit is largely due for the pres- 

 ent English type of Rose Comb Bantams. They are minla>- 

 ture Hamburgs in all their points. No doubt they were 

 crossed with the Hamburgs to establish the form and color. 

 Our standard allows blue or leaden blue for the legs of White 

 Hamburgs, and yellow or white for the White Rose Comb 

 Bantam. When white, a pinkish tinge on the back and be- 

 tween the scales is allowed. We consider this a mistake. 



The proper weights for Rose Comb Bantams in good show 

 form are about twenty ounces for a cock, eighteen for a hen, 

 and in proportion for young birds. Some ounces less than 

 this adds to their beauty If good form and vigor are main- 

 tained. When you consider that our standard only makes 

 two ounces all along the line between a Rose 

 Comb or Sebright and a Buff Pekin, you must 

 be surprised to know that the English standard 

 calls for a weight in Cochin Bantams, of thirty- 

 two to thirty-six ounces for males; twenty- 

 eight to thirty-two ounces for females; for Se- 

 bright Bantams, twenty-two ounces for males 

 and eighteen ounces for females; for Rose 

 Combs, sixteen to twenty ounces for males, 

 fourteen to seventeen oTinces for females, while 

 we allow for the Rose Combs, twenty-two to 

 twenty-six ounces for males and twenty to 

 twenty-two ounces for females, six ounces more 

 for each than they, almost one-half pound over 

 their weight, and even then some of our speci- 

 mens crowd close to 'the overweight line. 



Most certainly the weights for Sebrights 

 and Rose Comb Bantams should be reduced 

 somewhat in our standard, and the birds should 

 be bred to them. Again, our standard calls for 

 a very short back for Rose Comb males, the 

 English for a moderately long one. When did 

 you see a Rose Comb with a very short back, 

 being fashioned after the Hamburg? Their 

 backs favor their forms. 



Many little points like these should be well 

 considered by all Bantam fanciers. We formu- 

 late our standard oftentimes without due con- 

 sideration for nature and thus word a descrip- 

 tion that if followed to the letter would change the real 

 breed characteristics. 



To breed Black Rose Comb Bantams at the present time, 

 one must strive for a very lustrous beetle green shade of 

 plumage in both male and female. Dull colors will not 

 answer. To secure this shade of color, the very best colored 

 specimens of both male and female should be mated together. 

 If this method of mating produces reddish shading in males, 

 use dull colored females to reduce the brilliancy in the males 

 and keep the females of this cross for producing males. 



To secure pure white color in White Rose Comb Ban- 

 tams use only as breeders birds that have pure white plum- 

 age to the skin, white quills to their feathers, white ear- 

 lobes and whitish colored beaks and legs. If pure white in 

 plumage and ear-lobes they can stand a cut for beak and 

 legs if these are not the best of color. 



THE Br,ACK ROSE COMB, 



The Black Rose Comb of to-day is an exact miniature in 

 form. Shape and carriage of the Black Hamburg. They have 



the peculiar droop of body and tail which belerags to the 

 Hamburg. Shape cannot be too stamgly considered an* 

 valued in these beautiful little fowls. When of the best 

 quality they are truly beautiful. When under medium qual- 

 ity they have no -value whatever. The size and shape of ear- 

 lobe ha» been greatly improved. They should be of good 

 size very even in shape, soft as kid, smooth and white. The 

 comb of the male must be square and full in front, well 

 pointed all over the top, no hollows or thumb marks about it; 

 not very wide; nor too narrow as it runs back and tapers- 

 to a point. This point or heel of the comb should be finely 

 formed, and should turn up rather than be either straight 

 out or drooping; wattles full, well shaped, and as fine almost_ 

 as silk. The face of both the male and the female should' 

 be free from any sign of white. The neck should be short 

 and well feathered; with a sweeping hackle that comes well 

 down on the shoulder. The rise of the tail and the sweep 

 of the hackle leaves but little space for back — which must 

 favor the Hamburg type; wings full and carried rather low; 





BLACK ROSE COMB BANTAM — MALE. 



tail long, full and well sickled. A well favored cockerel must 

 have a sweeping tail. Some of the best informed writers on 

 the subject tell us that the Back Rose Comb has a longer 

 tail when a cockerel than it ever again possesses, as each 

 year it grows less in both fullness and length. The littleRose 

 Comb male cannot have too much tail, either in main tail, 

 hangers or sickle feathers; the broader and longer the main 

 sickles are the better. Shanks and feet of both male and 

 female should be smooth and black; shanks fine and rather 

 short. The male throughout should be rather long of 

 feather, small in size, and well endowed with courage. 



The female should be almost as beautiful and neat as 

 the male, her long wings hanging down and her head up as 

 smart and bright as a Game, her comb finely formed, and her 

 lobes large, round smooth and white. The color of both the 

 male and female should be a rich glossy black that glistens 

 with sheen. Then cannot have too much richness of plum- 

 age, provided there are no purple bars or bad color of any 

 kind. The little Rose Comb hen is as beautiful almost as 

 the male when of good quality — and there can hardly be 



