372 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
large, but not of such a size as to overlap each other and give the bird a patchy appearance : on 
the contrary, the white should show between each feather, though a bird perfect in this respect is 
^-carcely ever seen. The colour of the black spangles is a very great point ; it must be a very rich 
satiny green-black, the spangles having almost a raised appearance ; in fact, I have taken hold of 
some hens on which I have almost fancied that I could actually feel the spangles. The ground- 
colour is a perfectly clear silvery white, and the marking as follows : The neck to be well spotted 
from the head downwards ; back well and evenly spangled (I like a hen with a broad back, as 
there is then more room for the spangling, which appears to better advantage); wings well spangled 
with bold spangles above the bars, which bars are double as in the cock, and must be bold and 
well defined ; breast spangled from throat down to fluff ; tail clear white — no pepperiness in it — 
and with a good bold spangle at end of each feather. The comb should be smart, full of ‘ work ’ 
or points, with a long spike behind, evenly and firmly set on the head ; the ear-lobes white, beak 
horn-colour, legs slaty blue, and eyes hazel as in the cock. For size say about four pounds, though 
this is not of importance if they look a pretty fair average. 
“ For use I consider this variety of fowls to stand in the very first rank. No breed can excel 
them in laying properties, and many birds lay eggs of a pretty fair average size, while the food 
they consume bears favourable comparison with that required by other breeds. They need a good 
grass-range to fully bring out their best qualities, though I have known this variety do pretty well 
in a confined yard ; still it seems really a pity to pen them up, and I do not advise any one to keep 
them who has not a wide run. For beauty no fowl can excel them, in my opinion. They are 
very prolific, the eggs hardly ever failing to hatch, and the chickens are very lively from the first, 
and easy to rear. They reach maturity pretty early, and if well housed will lay at from five to six 
months old.” 
When the Yorkshire Pheasant and Lancashire Mooney were bred together to produce 
exhibition cocks, the practice was to mate Mooney cocks with Pheasant hens, and some breeders 
still pursue this plan, breeding the Mooneys pure for their pullets. We may, however, remark 
that though old fanciers can distinguish pure Mooneys from crossed birds, it is almost impossible 
for a beginner to do so, and the pure breeds are now very difficult to obtain, except by the 
inhabitants of their native counties, who know where to lay their hands upon them.* Should 
any of our readers, however, be able to obtain a pure Mooney strain, and be desirous of breeding 
from it for the sake of the pullets, while yet wishful to breed cockerels also for exhibition, and 
only having one run, they must proceed upon the following plan, which has been followed under 
Mr. Beldon’s advice with success. Get a pure Mooney cock (if whitish in the ear-lobes all the 
better), and of course pure Mooney hens also for the pullets. Then add a couple of hens for 
cock-breeding, with very smart combs and good ear-lobes, and very clearly marked, especially 
about the tail, but somewhat lighter in the spangling. From such hens and the Mooney cock it is 
* In a note received since the above was written, Mr. Beldon added, “ Nearly all the so-called pure Mooneys now have 
white ear-lobes, showing they have been modified by breeding. Hen-feathering is no sign of absolutely pure blood, being very 
easily produced. In Yorkshire also, though I live there, I should have some difficulty now in finding a pure-bred Pheasant, our 
Mooney hens having a dash of the Pheasant, and our so-called Pheasants a lot of the Mooney. At the last Birmingham Show 
(1S72) there was not one absolutely pure Mooney hen, though there were some splendid birds. Some ten or twelve years ago I 
came into possession of a lot of Silver Mooney hens, the really pure old stamp, picked up from all parts of Lancashire by old Jack 
Andrews [referred to on next page]. These hens were much larger than those we have at present, and were certainly coarse; 
but for spangling it was perfection ! Still, I think among the amalgamated strains we have as good, and tnat moult as true. I 
inquired of old Jack, a very short time ago, if he thought any of this ‘old sort’ could be found still ; he said he had looked the 
whole county through, but could find none.” 
