14 



THK BANTAM FOWI,. 



Since that time, within five Bhort years, fanciers of 

 Game Bantams have produced and shown both pure White 

 Game Bantams with yellow shanks and pure Black Game 

 Bantams with black shanks, that have quite as much quality 

 in them as is seen in average specimens of other varieties 

 of Game Bantams. The eyes of both these varieties should 

 be red; the plumage of each clear and true, with 

 no foreign color in either. These are the results of breeding 

 sports as above mentioned, the Whites to Piles and the 

 Black to Black Birchen females that have but little or no 

 color, and they must possess the highest qualities as Game 

 Bantams or they have but little value. 



ASEEL GAME BANTAMS. 



These are of all colors, such as White, Black, Black- 

 Red, Gray, and Spangled. They are fashioned very much 



A PAIR OF WHITE ASEEL GAME BANTAMS. 



after the Malay type. Their necks are strong and muscular; 

 legs short; plumage hard and short; thighs very strong and 

 rather scantily feathered. The male weighs about two 

 poun'ds. The female should resemble the male. Bar-lobes 

 and wattles on both should be very small; back quite 

 straight, carriage upright. 



INDIAN GAME BANTAMS. 



These are just like the Indian Games, Laced and 

 White. Indian Game Bantams originated with Mr. Entwisle, 

 of England, who exhibited them there. We clip the following 

 contribution from his pen to the "Feathered World," En- 

 gland: 



"In passing we may here remark that the writer of these 

 pages, after years of labor, was the original producer of all 

 the varieties of Malay Bantams, Indian Game, and Aseel 

 Bantams, and that to the best of his knowledge all these 

 varieties now extant have sprung from the birds he bred 

 down from the large varieties of which they are miniatures. 



"The first time we find they were exhibited was at the 

 Royal Yorkshire Jubilee Show, held in Saltaire Pai-k, on 

 Saturday, Sept. 10th. 1887, where my father won 3rd with 



a cockerel in Class 74, Sebright or ajiy other variety cock- 

 erel. There were thirteen entries in the class and the 

 awards were made by Mr. Edwin Wright The report of 

 this cockerel in "Stockkeeper" for Sept 16th, 1887, says: 

 'Third (Entwisle), a nice stylish little Indian Game.' 



"These quotations, I think quite endorse my statement. 

 Mr. Gott asks when we sold Indian Game Bantams to him. 

 The first were on Oct 27th, 1890, when my father sold Mr. 

 J. A. Gott a pen, along with other hens, for £5. I sold also 

 to Mr. J. A. Gott, on Dec. 10th, 1894, an Indian cockerel for 

 15s. This was far the smallest I have yet seen." 



Indian Game Bantams of excellent quality are now bred 

 and shown. As stated above they are the miniature of the 

 large Indian Game, and should favor them. But the present 

 Indian Game Bantam appears to favor the Malay more than 

 the Indian Game, being much too high on leg, and long in 

 back. This is altogether wrong. In every re- 

 spect the Bantam should be an exact minia- 

 ture of the Indian Game fowl, and as small as 

 possible. 



In judging Indian Game Bantams, shape 

 should be the first essential point, then color 

 and size; but however good in the two latter 

 points, if the bird does not possess the neces- 

 sary shape and build it should not be coun- 

 tenanced in the exhibition pen. Let type be 

 your first aim, then color. The required size 

 can always be obtained by inbreeding. I will 

 describe what I should consider an ideal bird: 

 Cock — Head rather long and thick; skull broad 

 and Inclined to be a little beetle browed. Neck, 

 medium length and slightly arched. Beak, well 

 curved, strong, giving the bird a powerful ap- 

 pearance. Face, red, fairly smooth and fine 

 in texture, and dotted over with black feath- 

 ers. Comb, peacombed or triple, small and 

 neat, closely set on head, and bright red in 

 color. Eyes, full and prominent, pale red pre- 

 ferred, eyebrows slightly arched. General 

 shape, thick and compact; back short and flat, 

 broad as possible at the shoulders and taper- 

 ing towards the tail, but not fiat sided. Breast, 

 deep and wide,- but well rounded, and breast 

 bone straight Wings, short clasping the body 

 closely and firmly, carried well forward, high 

 at points, and well tucked in behind. Tail, 

 medium length, slightly drooping; tail feathers proper, hard 

 and close fitting, with a few side hangers or tail coverts 

 narrow and glossy. Thighs, much shorter than Malays, 

 stout, and well rounded. Shanks, medium length, strong 

 and nicely rounded; closely fitting scales, and a deep, rich 

 yellow in color, the richer the better. Feet, strong; toes, 

 straight long -and well spread; back toe carried well on the 

 ground. Plumage, hard and glossy. General appearance, 

 powerful, sprightly, very vigorous, bold, upright in carriage, 

 with the back sloping towards the "tail; fiesh firm and hard 

 in handling. 



MALAY GAME BANTAMS. 



The following description of Malay Bantams has been 

 furnished me by Mr. H. Fabian Russell, of London. En- 

 gland, the secretary of the Malay Bantam Olub. He also 

 sends the illustration of the group of Malay Bantams. 



It Is with pleasure I write a few notes on this most inter- 

 esting and now popular variety of Bantams In England. Its 

 strong personality and, I may say, peculiarity lenfis itself 

 an easy variety to understand for a beginner and I can 

 strongly recommend Malay Bantams to anyone who is anx- 



