Langshans. 
151 
tor competition, the numbers of Langshans exhibited at our principal Shows have increased wonderfully. At 
the Annual Show of the S.A. Poultry and Dog Society in 1894, thirty-three Langshans were penned, in 1895 
forty-seven, and in 1896 sixty-one birds gave the Judge some trouble in selecting the ultimate winners. As 
to THE correct type of Langshan, unfortunately, breeders do not yet altogether agree, although there is no 
doubt the types of birds bred to-day by various Fanciers are manifestly much more uniform than those seen 
a few years ago. We have an accepted Standard, but this Standard is interpreted in many cases by each 
individual breeder to suit his particular Fancy. For instance, let us look at the Standard : — Cod- : S/iaiiks 
fine in bone. What a controversy there has been over this one point alone, some breeders going to such an 
extreme that they at last produced birds that were so fine in the bone that their legs could not support their 
bodies, with the result that they either knuckled over or became knock-kneed. All Langshan breeders will 
have noticed that the very light-boned cockerels never develop into anything better than weeds. By all 
means let us keep the shank of the Langshan distinct from that of the coarse-boned Cochin, but breeders (or 
judges) should choose the happy medium, and not ride the ' fine bone ' theory to the death. The Standards 
of the Victorian and South Australian Langshan Clubs are identical with that of the English Club. This 
dij^ers only in a few fninor particulars from Miss Croad's original Standard. The American Standard varies 
considerably from ours, their ideal being a much more heavily-feathered bird. Compare the following ; 
American Standard :— Hen : ' Fluff abundant, full in cushion,' while our Standard has it : ' Very little fluff, 
scarcely any cushion.' 
" Recently a Standard compiled by the English Langshan Fanciers' Association was published in one of 
the British Poultry Journals. 
" I will tabulate the principal differences : — 
Langshan Club. Fanciers' Association, 
cock and hen. cock and hen. 
Back. — Fairly long. Back. — Of medium length. 
Thighs. — Rather short. Thighs. — Of medium length. 
Shanks. — Rather long, fine in bone. Shanks. — Of medium length, stout, but not 
coarse ; short shanks a serious defect. 
Hen. — Scarcely any cushion, very little fluff. Hen. — Moderate cushion ; fluff" fairly de- 
Feathering on Centre Toe. — Disqualification. veloped. 
Feathering on Centre Toe. — Serious defect 
only. 
" It will be seen that there is very little difference in the two Standards, the one issued by the Fanciers' 
Association evidently aiming at a bird between the English and American types. However, the Standard we 
have in Australia is a good one, provided Judges of the breed take a firm stand and refuse to award prizes to 
weedy specimens, and especially to those that are deficient in breast. The points to cultivate are : — 
I St. Size. — The Langshan is pre-eminently a noble-looking, massive bird, although its great activity takes off" 
somewhat from its size. / have seen prizes aivarded to birds no bigger than a Minorca. This is not as it 
should be, and, although we must guard against all appearance of coarseness, yet size must be kept up if the 
bird is to remain a favourite. 2nd. Prominent breast aitd length of keel. — Many otherwise good birds are 
sadly deficient in this respect, and I can call to mind several well-known winners that possessed this fault. 
Some birds have a distinct waist, measuring from the centre of the back to the point of breast-bone. Such 
birds are useless as prodiccers of good table Poultry, and should be discarded as breeders. Many Fanciers 
do not pay sufficient attention to the length of keel-bone in the Langshan. This point is highly important in 
all breeds claiming the right to be classed as Table Fowls, for a bird, when on the table, should have both 
length and breadth of breast meat. 3rd. Colour. — The colour of the Langshan is one of its principal 
attractions. What a fine sight it is to see, say, a dozen of these noble fowls on a green lawn. Their feathers 
glisten in the sun like burnished metal. Breeders should reject all rusty-coloured specimens, as such are 
