THE BANTAM FOWL. 



11 



feathered, glossy black In color, narrow, fine lacing of lemon 

 on breast; hackle feathers black, deeply laced with lemon. 



"In breeding for males I would use a male of the above 

 description with good, hard-feathered female; if slightly 

 laced on back it is no objection, They should be well laced 

 on breast. 



"For pullet breeding I would use only sound colored 

 females, with lustrous black body color, no lacing except on 

 breast. A slightly darker male than above described would 

 be better for pullet breeding." 



runs during the show season. Always destroy any brown- 

 red chickens that are Birchen bred; if not you will never 

 obtain a pure strain. 



SUOOH.STRD STANDARD. 



BIRCHEN GAME BANTAMS. 



Birchen Games are the same in markings as the Brown 

 Reds, only their markings are silvery white. For this rea- 

 son we advance the oplniun that the coloring of the Brown- 

 Reds should be more of a golden color; one after the Golden 

 Duckwing, the other after the Silver, believing the lemon, 

 or straw color, in fact, too faded a color to breed true and 

 sustain itself as it should. We present below a description 

 of this variety from the pen of Mr. S. Walker Anderson 

 (Hon. Sec. pro tem of the United Game Club), of Scrooby, 

 Bawtry, England, one of the most successful fanciers of the 

 day: 



"This new and pretty variety of Bantams has only re- 

 cently come to the fi-ont. 1896 was the Hrst year that cla,sses 

 for it were provided at the Crystal Palace, although they 

 have been sihown successfully In the variety classes. As yet 

 we have no recognized standard. I have drawn up a stand- 

 ard giving the most points for that which every breeder 

 will acknowledge to be the most difficult to obtain. The 

 Birchen, as most breeders know, is a made breed, (ybtained 

 by crossing a Duckwing with a Brown-Red. You obtain a 

 Birchen in the first cross, and many times might breed a 

 specimen equal to many years' careful breeding with Birchen 

 and Birchen. 



"You must select a Silver Duckwing cook with heavily 

 ticked breast and streaky hackle, good black thighs and 

 fluff; small in tail; very free from shaftiness or lacing. Of 

 course it is understood that the birds must be of good shape, 

 long head, with plenty of reach. The Brown-Red hen must 

 have a good black face and eye, evenly laced breast, and 

 light lemon hackle. And be careful that she has a clear 

 cap. Body should be by no means shafty. From your first 

 season's result select those nearer to the Birchen standard 

 for next year's breeding stock, . and in no case, however 

 good, breed from a cock or hen that has a red face and light 

 eye. 



•'You must first have a good shaped oock with plenty of 

 reach and style, long head and neck; face and eye as dark 

 as possible; the beak, legs and toe nails black or very dark 

 slate color; the cap, neck and saddle hackle silvery white 

 (not creamy), each feather having a narrow black center. 

 The breast, which is one of fhe most attractive parts of the 

 bird, should be black, each feather having a narrow margin 

 of white completely round it and the shaft of the feather 

 faint white. I myself have a strong objection to a heavily 

 laced bird: The thigh and fluff should be black. This point 

 I consider most difficult to obtain, as most cocks are laced 

 both on the thighs and fluff. The shoulder points should be 

 black; saddle and beak a silvery white with a black center; 

 bows and wings black; tail black, small and fine in sickle and 

 free from shaftiness or lacing. The,Jien_shfluld have a good 

 black face and eye. .Cap~and neck hackfe-are the same as 

 male bird, also the'Sreastj-the rest of the body a glossy 

 black. Legs, feet and toe nails same as the cock. 



"General remarks: To k-eep Birchens in show form you 

 must not expose them to the sun; if you do they will turn 

 a, straw color. I should advise keeping them in covered 



Good head and neck 6 



Eye and face 10 



Shape and style 10 



Legs and feet 8 



Condition 10 



Hardness of feather 8 



Tail 10 



Breast lacing 10 



Clear thighs 8 



Soundness of color 10 



Size 10 



100 



Good head and neck 6 



Eye and face 10 



Siiape and style 10 



Legsandfeet 8 



Condition 10 



Hardness of feather 8 



Tail 10 



Breast lacing 10 



Clearcap 8 



Soundness of color 10 



Size 10 



100 



DISQUALIFICATIONS. 



"Duckfeet, crooked breast, deformed back, wry tail, light eye, red 

 face, and straw colored hackle, saddle and back." 



Some most beautiful pullets of this variety have been 

 shown by the manager of Havemeyer's Mountainside Farm. 

 The shape and color of these pullets are quite equal to the 

 best; at the same time they are not generally so good as the 

 other and more popular varieties. The eyes of the Birchen 

 should be black or dark brown. The Duckwing cross gives 

 trouble in this direction, as the Duckwing has a red eye. 

 One of the beauties of this variety is to have the lacing from 

 the throat to the thighs, and -held it there, and at the same 

 time prevent its appearance in other sections. The rich 

 glossy black and the clear silvery white is most beautiful, 

 but hard to obtain. Mention shouid be made, in' matins 

 Birchen Games, that the same f.eneral rules should be fol- 

 lowed as in Brown-Reds; aiming for the clearest, cleanest 

 colors that can be obtained. 



DUCKWING GAME BANTAMS. 



Duckwings are of most beautiful color when in perfec- 

 tion. The rich coloring of neck,, back and wings forms a 

 beautiful contrast to the bright, glossy black body of the 

 males. Our standard for these fowls differs somewhat from 

 the Engli.sh in the poirt of describing color. In Golden 

 Duckwings, head and hackle with us are straw color; the 

 English standard calls for creamy white. The back in our 

 standard is golden; with them orange or yellow. They 

 prefer a creamy V/-liite hackle with orange back and wing- 

 bow. We call for a straw colored hackle and golden back 

 and wing-bow with saddle same color as hackle, both of 

 which must be free from any penciling or dark stripes. Of 

 whatever color, it must be clear and pure, and free from 

 any discoloration. The general coloring of the bird is the 

 same as to markings as the Black Red. The wing bay of a 

 Duckwing is of great importance. This Is a weak point in 

 most of thpm and should be watched with care in breeding. 

 The shanks of both male and female, to look the best. Should 

 be 3. light willow. 



The female in her make-up follows the Black-Red, hav- 

 ing the salmon breast. Her back and wings are a slate gray; 

 hackle silvery gray with a narrow stripe; body and stern 

 light ashy gray, tail black; with top feathers powdered with 

 gray. Our standard omits the penciling in plumage of. 

 Duckwing females, but they should be penciled on back and 

 wings, very fine and evenly, with black or dark brown. The 

 head coloring of the Duckwing should be very clear and 

 pure, and the hackle quite free from any off shading. 



The Silver Duckwing is a counterpart of the Golden, 

 except in color. The male is a silvery white in hackle, 

 back, saddle and wings, and the female is of a much lighter 

 shade of gray, with a light salmon breast. A perfect Duck- 

 wing female is the most beautiful of all Game Bantam, 

 females when of perfect form and color. No Game Bantam 



