Trimming Spanish Faces. 
353 
he formerly entertained is entirely removed. We have thought it well to state these facts, in order 
to remove any misapprehension which may still prevail, and to make it perfectly clear that no 
breeder, exhibitor, or judge now considers the faintest semblance of fraud to attach to the practice 
referred to. It is only necessary to state thsrt a proper fringe of feathers, which is always found 
naturally in the very best birds, should be left at the top of the face, between it and the comb. To 
trim this away is to impart a very unnatural appearance, which, as Mr. Teebay says, is “perfectly 
ridiculous;” and which on this ground, and not on that of fraud, is still occasionally visited with the 
penalty of disqualification. 
Mr. Teebay has already alluded to the difference in “quality” of faces. Various yards have 
very marked peculiarities in this point, and the celebrated strain of the late Mr. Lane, of Bristol, 
which at one period won more prizes than any other, was of the rough or “ cauliflower ” type of 
face, though the surface of white was extraordinarily large. There can be no doubt, however, of 
the superior beauty of the soft and smooth faces, and Mr. Lane himself, for a year or two before 
his death, had been transforming his old strain to this character by judicious crosses, and had to a 
considerable extent succeeded when his death dispersed the yard. There appears little doubt that 
all the older English strains were of the rough-faced type, and that we owe the smooth faces to 
subsequent importation from the Dutch fanciers. These Dutch birds, however, had faces much 
smaller than the English, singularly corroborating Mr. Teebay’s experience of the effect in 
diminishing face of in-breeding to get smoothness ; and very much careful breeding was required 
before the quality of the one was to some extent engrafted upon the size of the other. This was 
the great secret of Mr. Rake’s success, his sound judgment in crossing enabling him to show 
smooth faces of greater size, or large faces of finer quality (whichever view be preferred) than all 
his competitors. 
We may add that the ear-lobes' shown of late have been by no means equal to those seen 
formerly. We have frequently seen them in former years all that could be desired, being perfectly 
open, flat, and free from folds ; but for years we were scarcely able to find a bird anywhere whose 
lobes were free from folds, wrinkles, or duplicature. Lately things have somewhat improved again. 
In breeding Spanish, and especially in crossing different strains, the most satisfactory results 
will usually be found to follow by putting the smoother-faced cockerels (even if the face be small) 
to the large and rough-faced hens, than by adopting the contrary plan. Perhaps no breed, how- 
ever, bears crossing so ill as the Spanish ; the result of crossing even first-rate strains, if very alien in 
blood, being, as we have elsewhere seen, often the apparently unaccountable but most disheartening 
deterioration of face in every point. Recrossing back to one of the parent strains will generally 
remedy this in the second generation ; but still it is very desirable, by preserving distinct families 
and noting pedigrees, to avoid, as far as possible, crossing from an entirely alien yard. 
It is very difficult to foresee the ultimate quality of the young chickens. The very best are 
often the longest in showing their good points ; and indeed, as a general rule, those which show 
very white in face at an early age rarely turn out first-rate specimens. One of the most 
experienced breeders we ever knew had on one occasion actually given orders in October for a 
cockerel to be “potted;” but his “ man ” thought differently, and kept him on a little longer, 
chiefly however on account of an uncommonly beautiful comb. This very bird during the next 
two months picked up “ hand over hand,” making ultimately the champion cockerel of his year ! 
Birds which show a plain blush or red as chickens, however, may be discarded without hesitation ; 
and in general, those which present a dark, dirty blue appearance when young, with a very slow 
but steady change to white as they grow older, make the best specimens. Very promising chickens 
will, however, often show the fatal red over the eye as time draws on ; and only the most careful 
