334 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
possible if size is required, as they are an exceptionally slow-maturing Fowl (though feathering rapidly), 
taking nearly twelve months to reach maturity. The pullets rarely lay until the following spring. The sexes 
are difficult to distinguish until they begin to cast their chicken feathers, when the cockerels can be picked 
out by the appearance of the crests, |the feathers being long and narrow, and bright in colour, while the 
pullets have a small round crest, with a lacing (not spangling) of brilliant greenish-black. After the first 
adult moult nearly all Gold Polish have some white feathers in the back of the crest. This gradually 
increases as the bird becomes advanced in years ; in some instances the crest turns wholly white. This 
cannot be taken as a sign of impurity of blood, but is certainly no attraction. No doubt, with due care and 
selection of the breeding stock, this fault can be eradicated. They are a hardy Fowl when fully matured ; 
disease seldom attacks them, but they are very subject to that unsightly eruption in the shanks called scaly 
legs. They are a very lively, active Fowl, small eaters, good foragers, and bear confinement well." 
General Characteristics. 
COCK. 
Head and Neck. — In general appearance, stately and lively ; Beak, fair size, well shaped ; Comb, in 
White-Crested Blacks very small, the other varieties wanting ; Wattles, not present in Bearded or Spangled, 
other varieties long, thin, and pendent ; Ear-lobes, small ; Crest, full, round, and large as possible, the 
feathers composing the crest being like the neck hackles of each sex ; Beard, in the bearded varieties large 
and full as possible ; Neck, fair length, carried erect, and nicely arched, full of hackle feathers ; Body, 
general appearance smart and active, widest at shoulder, and narrowing to tail ; Wings, well carried, fair 
length ; Breast, full and prominent ; Legs and Feet, thighs short ; Shanks, rather short, smooth and slender ; 
Toes, slim and fair length ; Tail, full sickles, and tail coverts flowing and abundant, carried fairly erect ; 
Weight, 5 to 6 lbs. ; General Shape, slight and trim ; Carriage, dandified. 
HEN. 
Crest. — Fuller, closer, and more globular than the cock ; Tail, well spread, showing markings well, in 
all other respects the same as the cock, making allowance for difference in sex ; Weight, 4 to 5 lbs. ; General 
Shape, trim and pretty ; Carriage, vain. 
Colour of Silver-Spangled Polish. 
In Both Sexes. — -Eyes, bright red j Beak, dark horn ; Face, bright red ; Legs, slaty blue. Colour of 
Cock. — Crest Feathers, black at base, white in centre, spotted with black at tips (more or less mingled with 
white in old birds) ; Hackle, white, spotted with black at tips ; Back, Shoulder Coverts, and Wing-bows, 
white, spotted with black, broader than the hackle and saddle feathers ; Wing Coverts, white, laced all round 
with black, the lacing broader at the ends of the feathers, forming two laced bars across the wings ; 
Secondary Quills, finely laced all round, the lacing broader at the tips. The outer web is white, the inner 
web white, with more or less greyish-black intermingled, but lighter than the black lacing ; Primaries, 
corresponding to secondaries ; Saddle Hackles, white tipped with black, and black at the base ; Breast, 
white, with a half-moon black spangle at the tip, the edge being laced with black ; Tail and Sickles, white or 
grey, spangled with black at the tips of the feathers ; Secondary Sickles and Tail Coverts, more or less grey 
in the centre, laced heavily with glossy green-black ; Colour of the Hen^s Crest, black, laced with white the 
first year, reversed to white laced with black afterwards ; Hackle, white, laced at the tips with black ; Breast, 
white, spangled with half-moon spangle at the tips, running almost into a lacing of the feather ; Remainder 
of Plumage, white, laced entirely round every feather with black, even in the secondary quills, the lacing 
being rather thicker and heavier at the tips of the feathers. 
Colour of Golden-Spangled Polish. — Both sexes identical in all respects with the Silver in 
markings, the ground colour being a golden instead of silver. 
Colour of White-Crested Black Polish. — In Both Sexes — Beak, black or dark horn colour ; 
Face, Eyes, and Wattles, red ; Ear-lobes, white ; Crest, pure white, with a few black feathers in the front 
