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Chapter XXXIX. 
POLISH. 
The principal characteristic traits of the Polish Fowl are the formation of the head feathers, called the crest, 
the beard, and whiskers, and the peculiar craniological formation of the skull, even the chickens when 
first hatched presenting these distinctive features in a prominent degree, and the more developed this 
formation appears in the first stages the better crested will the birds be in after life. The three varieties of 
the Polish Fowl, commonly known and seen at Exhibitions, are the Golden-Spangled, Silver-Spangled, and 
White-Crested Black, though there are many sub-varieties of these — some with and some without the beard 
and whiskers. Of these the chief are the Buff, the White, the Black, the Black-Crested White, the Cuckoo, 
and the Blue or Grey. 
There is no great interest displayed by Fanciers in Australia in this unique and ornamental variety of 
Poultry, the classes provided at our leading Shows being poorly patronised. This is a matter for regret, as 
all the varieties of Polish are remarkably handsome and attractive in appearance, and the hens can be classed 
as good layers, rarely developing the incubating instinct. 
Taking the Silver-Spanglcd first : The cock is of moderate size, of smart, attractive shape ; the head 
and neck thrown back, the latter being well curved ; the breast, very prominent ; the tail, also, being carried 
full, fairly upright, and well expanded ; the crest being composed of long, fine feathers, which should be as 
abundant as possible. A full crest being most desirable, the shape of the crest is all-important. It should 
rise well in front, and fall down the side and back without Jjreak or division, and the larger the crest, if well 
formed, the more it is valued as a Fancy Point. The crest feathers should be composed of black at the 
roots, white in the centre, and tipped with black at the ends, though the crest loses this distinctive marking 
with age, often becoming nearly white. The beard and muff should be full, and dark in colour, the neck 
hackles being very abundant, each feather from the head downwards being tipped with black. This 
frequently changes to a much lighter shade with age. The breast should be accurately spangled with black, 
in the shape of a half-moon, the black running round the edge of each feather. The back wing-bows, 
shoulder coverts, and saddle hackles all white, tipped with black, the edges of the wing coverts forming the 
wing-bars heavily laced all round the feather, forming two bars across the wing, the secondary quill feathers, 
also, being laced in the same manner ; the true tail feathers and sickles, white or grey, with a black moon, or 
spot, at the end of each feather, the side or secondary sickles and tail coverts also being laced with black ; 
the legs, a slaty blue ; beak, horn colour ; eyes and face, bright red ; ear-lobes, generally white. 
The hen should have as full and globular a crest as possible ; in fact, the nearest approach to a perfect 
ball, without division, the better, except where it sets upon the beak ; the colour of the crest feathers before 
the first adult moult being black at the base and up the centre, and edged ivith white ; but after the first 
moult this is entirely reversed, the feathers that are black at the base and middle, turning white, with a black 
edge right round. The crest, as a rule, becomes white after the first year, many of the feathers becoming 
clear white. Like the cock, the beard should be full, and mottled with black and white, the neck hackle 
white, and well laced with black ; the rest of the body feathers, including tail, white, laced all round with 
black, the black being heaviest at the tips of the feather, which on this part should resemble a half-moon. 
At one time the breed was heavily spangled, after the Spangled Hamburg style of marking, but is now laced, 
which is a decided improvement. 
Golden-Spangled Polish differ from the Silver variety in the ground colour alone, the marking being 
identical in every respect with the Silver. The top colour of the cock, excepting the tail, is of a bright red 
