GAME BANTAMS. 



Their Origin— Importance of Shape and Style— Full Descriptions in Detail of the Varieties Discussed- 

 Recent English and American Ideals and Methods of Breeding and Judging. 



Black Breasted Reds; Brown Reds; Birchens; Duckwinas (Golden and Silver); Red Piles; Pile Wheatsns; 

 Wheatens and Rod Wheatens; Whites. Blacks; Aseels; Indian Games; Malays. 



Ducknifino 



HE most popular of all Bantam fowls Is the Game Ban- 

 tam. No variety of fowls is more widely known than 

 the Black Red Game Bantam, and we must conclude, 

 judging from the quality we find at some of our exhi- 

 bitions, none so little understood. How often we see 

 them after the fashion of a young duckling, short of 

 leg, long and plump of body, the female being shaped 

 more like a pigeon than a game fowl, proving the lack of 

 knowledge as to the requirements of a true Game Bantam. 



First we will say a few words as to the early ancestors 

 of Game Bantams. More ancient than poultry lore is the 

 game fowl. Of my own experience I can say that a personal 

 friend who visited Pompeii saw a large flagon that had been 

 taken from the ruins, on one side of which was engraved a 

 game cock, on the other a peafowl, showing that fowls of 

 that kind were known in those early days. 



Early writers tell us of Game Bantams, but we have 

 seen only one record that places the credit of their origin. 



Mr. Entwisle, in his book on Bantams, states- as follows: 

 "We think we shall be quite within the mark in saying that 

 not one of those we have placed in the intermediate class, 

 such as Games, Cuckoo or Scotch Greys, Frizzled, Rumpless, 

 Japanese or Buff Pekins, was known in England fifty years 

 ago, certainly not sixty years ago." To Mr. John Crosland, 

 of Wakefield, he gives the credit of having produced the ear- 

 liest Game Bantams. In the few lines given to Bantams by 

 liloubray (1816) he states: "There has been lately obtained 

 a variety of Bantams extremely small and as smooth legged 

 as a game fowl." 



Mr. Hewitt in writing of them in 1852, tells of a pair of 

 Duckwing Game Bantams, which he describes as a beautiful 

 pair. At- the same time he mentions Black Breasted Red 

 Game Bantams, a fac-simile of the game fowl, but not ex- 

 ceeding three-quarters of a pound in weight. He goes further 

 and states as his opinion that the Game Bantam, properly 

 so called, may be fairly considered as occupying a distinct 

 place in the family. He does not give the credit of their pro- 

 duction to any one, but claims for them the right of belong- 

 ing to a distinct family. 



Mr. Tegetmeier, in his book (1867), in writing of Game 

 Bantams, tells of a Mr. Monsey, of Norwich, who produced 

 them by inbreeding and selecting, also by crossing them on 

 other Bantams. Neither of these gentlemen gives the credit 

 of their origin to any one person. We simply present these 

 records without comment to show the opinion of both early 

 and modern writers as to their origin. 



IMPORTANCE OF SHAPE AND STYLE. 



The Game Bantam, of whatever variety, should conform 

 to the standard for shape. Never be content with an off- 

 shap.ed btrd, no matter how good the color, for without the 

 true Game Bantam form, color and markings go for naught. 



Never hope for good results in breeding from ill-shaped 

 birds with poor carriage, for your reward will be disap- 

 pointment. The main features are good style, hard plumage 

 (that is, short, small and close-fitting to the body), small 

 size, and. color. These, in the order named, constitute the 

 true Game Bantam. 



By style we refer to all terms used by experts and others 

 not 90 well informed, such as carriage, symmetry, station, 

 etc. The general style includes the shape of the bird and its 

 ability to carry itself in the proper Game manner, and when 

 this requirement is lacking the true Game Bantam feature Is 

 gone and the bird is of no value either as a show bird or pro- 

 ducer of the game. Much Improvement can be made in some 

 birds by training, but true style cannot be trained into a bird 

 that is lacking in proper form. 



The bird should be tall, upright, and bold; the head long 

 and narrow; the beak finely formed, long, tapering, and 

 slightly curved; eyes bright and clear, and face bright red, 

 except gypsy face in Brown Reds; and the skin of the face 

 very thin and close fitting. One feature of grealt Importance 

 and beauty is a thin, clean throat. When bred so fine that 

 the female scarcely shows any wattles, the thin, clean throat 

 adds much to the beauty of head and neck in both males and 

 females. To show how long ago the absence of wattles vas 

 bred for, we state for your benefit, that the Black Sumatra 

 Game in perfection scarcely shows any wattles. Our stand- 

 ard does not class them as Games, but they are of the same 

 nature. 



The neck should be Jong, 

 thin, and tapering from body 

 to head, the neck hackle short 

 and close fitting. The feathers 

 of the hackle should not come 

 together in front and they 

 should end where the neck 

 and back join. The shoulders 

 should be broad, square and 

 carried forward, and the neck 

 should join the back and body 

 between the shoulders, the 

 prominenceof which gives the 

 appearance o£ the neck being 

 set into the body. This feature 

 is more prominent in the 

 male. The back is short, flat 

 and tapering, giving the body 

 almost the shape of an egg; in 

 fact, the body should be egg- 

 shaped, and the wings should 

 set very close to thfi body and 

 be carried well up to the back. 

 The end of the wing should "■''^^^^^^-' "^'"''''"f ,';,""' 



