30 



THE BANTAM FOWL. 



colors in the large varieties must be followed with them. 

 We hear of superb specimens of this variety being shown in 

 England; but their idea of color of Partridge Cochins and 

 ours differ so much that due allowance must be made in 

 this line. The writer is now breeding a strain of Partridge 

 Cochin Bantams that are small in size, fine in form, and very 

 good in color and penciling. These birds show good length 

 of feather and iiuff, also line foot feathers, and it is my belief 

 that within a fe_w y.ears they will be fully the equal of the 

 very best Cochin Bantams. This strain has its origin in 

 English bred birds, crossed on a small St3,ndard female and 

 recrossed on the imported stock. We can now feel assured 

 of a good foundation in this variety. The winners at New 

 York and Boston last winter were a sample of what the 

 stock may be expected to produce. The same stock won over 

 all others at both New York and Boston in 1898, proving 

 their quality. 



Past experience in breeding this variety has taught me 

 the great importance of color in the male bird used to pro- 



MR. J. FALLEN'S WHITE BOOTED HEN, 



1st Palace, 1899. 



jj MR. M. THOMPSON'S JAPANESE COCK. 



£y Courtesy of Feathered World. 



duce pullets. Of all the birds produced last season (1897) 

 not one male bird had to be destroyed for lack of Standard 

 color. Many pullets were of no value, their color and pen- 

 ciling being so defective. To produce the proper color of 

 female the deepest red possible to obtain in males is nec- 

 essary. Having been produced with a Black Breasted Red 

 Bantam cross, but few of the males formerly . showed good 

 pfenciling in hackle. This is improved by the cross with a 

 Standard or large Partridge Cochin female, and now both 

 hackle and .saddle show indications of the black stripe. 



Another fault in this variety is the tendency to long 

 beak, fashioned after the Game Bantams. Great attention 

 must be paid to this, for it detracts from the Cochin form 

 and beauty. The color of the female in these Bantams is 

 not so rich a brow"n as it should be. It has a tendency to- 

 ward a yellowish brown, and not a reddish or mahogany 

 brown, as demanded by our Standard for Partridge Cochin 

 color. All these shortcomings must be improved by the 

 careful mating of the best. They are to-day better in many 

 ways than their larger cousins were ten years ago. They 

 have fine Cochin shape, good leg and toe feathering and 

 almost perfect color in the males. With these great advan- 



tages to start with, careful handling will soon reduce their 

 size and perfect the color and marking of the female and 

 make them fully the equal of any Cochin or Cochin Ban- 

 tam. 



Partridge Cochin Bantams of to-day far excel those of 

 five years ago. As mentioned as winners of 1897, females of 

 good form, color and markings are seen — not many of them, 

 it is true, but quite as large a percent as is seen of the best 

 in-the larger variety which they miniature. In males the 

 hackle and saddle markings are better, and the whole ma,ke- 

 up more in conformity with the true Cochin type. The En- 

 glish writers and breeders state there is but very little im- 

 provement in this variety with them. In my effort to improve 

 them since the last time I had them in the show room, 1898, 

 I have done as follows: One of George W. Mitchell's best 

 males from his pullet breeding line was mated with two 

 Bantam hens, and as the result of a whole season's work 

 three chicks were hatched. Two of them died, and one, a 

 beautiful colored-cockerel, survived and lived to a servicea- 

 ble age. This has been patiently mixed 

 into the Bantam blood, and the result of 

 four years' work does not warrant us in 

 saying it is complete. 



Size is the hardest thing to have cor- 

 rect, for by the time you have got back 

 to Bantam size you have left only a small 

 per cent of the original cross, the influ- 

 ence of which we should like to maintain 

 for the sake of color. The zigzag back 

 and fortih has Influenced better color into 

 both males and females, and the promise 

 is for still better in the near future. Those 

 who profit by this result when the time 

 for distribution comes will scarcely 

 know of the hours and years of close at- 

 tention that have been given to these and 

 to the Bark Brahma Bantams to have 

 them what they are. For what they are 

 at this time in America is due to the labor 

 bestowed upon them for years by the 

 writer and his co-workers. 



It should be borne in mind that feathers 

 marked and colored like those of a Brown 

 Leghorn are not proper colors and mark- 

 ings for a Partridge Cochin Bantam. 

 We show by illustration a feather 

 from a Partridge Cochin Bantam female, a pullet 

 of great promise that ended her days in an at- 

 tempt to be free of an egg that was rather large— which is 

 another trouble that comes from these large top crosses. It 

 often increases the size of the egg more in proportion than 

 it does the size of the pullet, and when this is the case trou- 

 ble generally follows. Many are the trials of those who 

 labor to make a new or improve upon a variety that is partly' 

 made; but the joy that comes with improvement often re- 

 pays for years of trouble and care. If success comes as the 

 reward of the labor given to these two penciled Bantams, 

 we shall feel fully repaid. 



COCHIN BANTAMS IN ENGLAND-BLACKS, WHITES 



AND CUCKOOS. 



(By a Noted English Breeder.) 



"Black Cochins should be the same as Buffs in comb, 

 face, eyes and legs. The plumage should be a lustrous beetle- 

 green, as seen in the Black Hamburg, although it is hardly 

 possible to obtain the same sheen as in Hamburgs, but the 

 more lustre the better, as color in Blacks is a very important 



