THE BANTAM FOWIv. 



17 



very bad colored White Malay Bantams with straw-colored 

 back and a, few red feathers on shoulders and wings. 



By mating a White Malay Bantam cock with a partridge- 

 colored hen with golden hackle I have had better results than 

 any other pure Malay cross, but as one might expect, these 

 have been pullets. 



There are a few good Pile Malay Bantams in existence 

 and no doubt by careful mating may be improved, but unfor- 

 tunately they are not numerous. I have not seen any from 

 which one could confidently expect to produce a sound col- 

 ored typical specimen. 



If a new strain of Pile Malay Bantams were desired I 

 should advise the following way of producing same: 



Obtain a Red Pile Game Bantam cock with a strong 

 head and light eye as possible; see that his color is sound, 

 not only his top color, but his wing ends a rich chestnut, 

 right to the end of feather and his breast a clear white, quite 

 free from lacing, ticking or smokiness. These points are 

 most important, as to obtain sound rich color is our only 

 reason for introducing the Gtame Bantam blood. 



To this Pile Game Bantam cock mate White or White- 

 Red bred Malay Bantam hens, say two of each, all excelling 

 in head properties and curves and having good reach and up- 

 right carriage. If the hens of the White-Red cross show fox- 

 iness on wings this will be found useful for the cockerel 

 breeding. I recommend the cock to be the Pile, as it is 

 always considered the male bird gives the color and female 

 shape and from experience I have found this to be so. 



The prodiice of this cross would show a good percentage 

 of faulty combs and gamey type, but the color should be 

 fairly good and possibly one or two really passable Pile 

 Malay Bantams would be the result. It is surprising some- 

 times how a first cross with entirely different varieties and 

 of different colors as the above will alter the color of produce 

 of the one and yet still hardly affect the shape; for instance, 

 it is not improbable that the. above mating would throw 

 almost apparently pure Game Bantams and on the other 

 hand typical Malay Bantams. 



Select the richest and soundest colored cockerel having a 

 good comb, broad in front, and mate him to the hens used in 

 the first crossing; it would also be advisable to run with him 

 a partridge colored Malay Bantam hen with a golden hackle. 

 From this mating the type should be greatly improved and 

 color well maintained. 



The pullet of the Game-Malay Bantam cross having 

 good hackle color and with most Malay type might be put 

 with a Red Malay Bantam cock with advantage. He 

 should be of a good, deep, rich color, sound bars and quite 

 free from any rustiness on breast and thighs, preferably of 

 a partridge-color breeding strain. 



Do not on any account use the Game Bantam again, be- 

 cause it will take some time to effectually stamp out the 

 objectionable faults introduced by the one cross and another 

 would be fatal to the type. 



The produce of the Game-Malay Bantam cross must not 

 be inter-bred, as no good could possibly be gained by so 

 doing. 



I must warn any one who Introduces the Pile Game Ban. 

 tam for Pile Malay Bantam breeding to do so very care- 

 fully and ,to keep a strict note of how every bird is bred, 

 always remembering to select the most typical to breed from, 

 particularly the male bird; any experimenting should be 

 done with the hen. 



Pile Malay Bantams have been produced and exhibited 

 by Messrs. Edgar Branford, H. Jones and G. E. Moore. 



The chief faults found in the present day Pile Malay 

 Bantams are the lacing and ticking on the breast and throat 

 of the males and paleness of hackle color of the females. 



Spangle Malay Bantams were obtained by the Red- 

 White cross (not by the introduction of the Spangle Azeel 

 as thought by some) and are not difficult to breed, and by 

 careful selection most striking and beautiful combination of 

 color may be the result. 



Black Malay Bantams were either sports from Whites or 

 the Red-White cross. They must be a rich glossy black and 

 not rusty in color. 



The legs and beak should be quite free from sootiness. 

 Which very often asserts itself and is a very difficult point io 

 stamp out, many coming quite black. 



A cross back with the Whites will improve both color 

 of feather and legs, but as might be expected, a percentage 

 of this union would be mottled. 



Mr. G. E. Moore at one time had in his possession some 

 very good Black Malay Bantams, rivalling all other colors 

 in Malay character, in fact I think one hen in particular 

 excelled any I have seen for width of skull, strength of beak 

 and brow. 



The accompanying drawing is by Mr. J. W. Ludlow (the 

 well-known poultry, etc., artist) of winning Malay Bantams, 

 from sketches supplied by myself, and I think give an excel- 

 lent idea what typical Malay Bantams are. 



In conclusion I trust the time is not far distant when we 

 shall see the American bred Malay Bantams alongside of our 

 own on the show pen and, as in other varieties, well up on 

 the prize list. jj. fabian RUSSELL. 



OI,D ENGWSH GAMB BANTAMS. 

 BY P. PROUD, ENGLAND. 



There is no other breed of Bantams that awakened 

 such interest, or caused such a boom in the fancy during the 

 year 1898 as Old English. For years this charming variety 

 has been hanging fire, as it were, but like all other new 

 breeds, once they are launched in the exhibition world, and 

 classes provided for them, their popularity is quickly assured 

 by s\ich a novelty lover as the English exhibitor. And why, 

 I ask, should not the Old English Game Bantam find equally 

 as much favor as the large breed of Old English Game, from 

 which they have descended. To-day in -the North-country 

 shows and at all the big events throughout England, there 

 are no classes which flU better or pay better than Old Eng- 

 lish Game, and I have no hesitation in saying that with 

 proper attention in breeding, the Old English Game Bantam 

 would soon become a very popular breed. 



I have been greatly amused at the correspondence whick 

 has lately appeared in the columns of The Feathered World, 

 regarding the origin of Old English Game Bantams, and 

 whilst reading this correspondence, and enjoying my even- 

 ing pipe, with my feet on the fender, my thoughts have gone 

 back nearly thirty years to my school days, when I first 

 entered the ranks of Bantam fanciers. "My first purchase I 

 well remember, even yet, was a pair of lovely little yellow- 

 legged spangled or speckled Bantams, for which I paid the 

 modest sum of Is 4d each, and these were spangled beauti- 

 fully broken in color, cohby in shape, and nice flow of 

 feather, perhaps not quite so small as the present day type, 

 but otherwise quite their equal. At that time I was only 

 eight years of age, and I also remember, as if it were only 

 yesterday, the schoolmaster examining us in history one 

 sultry afternoon in July, and as we each toed the mark 

 around the black board, and it came to my turn, the master 

 in solemn tones asked me who was the originator of the 

 Old English Bantams; and in those days I had a lot of 

 George Washington's disposition about me, and could not 

 tell a lie, so I replied, "Please, sir, it wasn't me." At this 

 he smiled, and said, "I am quite sure of that, Pringle. But 

 you keep Bantams, don't you?" I answered, "Yes, but I 



