Hamburgs. 
327 
than ever afterwards, the marking or penciUing becoming wider and coarser with age. I have seen as good 
cocks exhibited twenty years back as now, but the pullets have wonderfully improved. 
Golden Pencils. 
" The mating and breeding of Golden Pencils is exactly on the same lines as given for the Silver 
Pencils. The ground colour of a Gold Pencil cock should be a rich bright bay from the top of the head to 
root of tail. Yellow hackles and breasts inclined to be clay-coloured should be carefully avoided. The 
edging around the sickles and tail coverts are similar to the body colour, this lacing being about one-quarter 
of an inch in width. The centres of the sickle feathers and tail coverts should be a sound glossy black, the 
Show hen having a bright gold neck hackle, the ground colour being a bright red bay, marked exactly the 
same as the Show Silver hen. Golden-pencilled birds should be kept out of the sun as much as possible, as 
the sun gives them a pale, washed-out appearance. 
Black. Hamburgs. 
"This variety, when seen in anything approaching perfection, combine an elegance of carriage and 
symmetry of form unapproached by any breed of Domestic Poultry. The comb, lobes, wattles, etc., are 
Fig. 83.— Feathers of Silver- Pencilled Hamburg Hen. 
exactly similar to the Spangled varieties ; but the body is one whole uniform rich satiny green-black. The 
greener the better, the hens frequently possessing this important characteristic in a more marked degree 
than the cocks, and when viewed in a good light, or with the sun shining upon them, the sheen of the 
feather is marvellous. It is within the past twenty years that the breed has been brought to its now present 
high state of perfection. The ear-lobe is a little larger in this variety than in the others, and looks more 
striking set off with such coral-like combs and faces, and brilliant green-black plumage. 
" For breeding Exhibition cockerels a cock should be chosen good in head points, comb, lobes, etc. ; 
mated with hens also good in these points, taking care that no red feathers are in hackle and saddle of the 
cock. But, on the other hand, for breeding pullets it will not matter if the cock has a few red feathers in 
hackle and saddle, if, in addition, he is possessed of brilliant greenish sheen throughout, and especially on 
wing coverts and secondaries. The hen to mate with a bird of this description need not possess brilliant 
green body colour, the cock giving all this desired quality. This variety is one of the most useful, beautiful, 
and profitable breeds of Fowl in the world, and the hens can lay claim to be the best layers of all Poultry, 
and they are high-class Table Fowls. 
