Marking of Spangled Polish. 
399 
at the bottom of the feathers, white in the middle, and tipped with black at the end ; but as they 
get older the crest becomes whiter, till it is nearly all white. 
“ The beard should be full and ample, and very dark ; the neck-hackle also very full, and 
every feather from the head downwards tipped with black ; but the hackle also generally gets 
lighter after the first moult. The breast should be well and evenly spangled with half-mooned or 
crescentic spangles, the back, wing-bow, and saddle-hackles well spotted with black ; the wing- 
coverts heavily laced, so as to form two laced bars across the wing, and the secondary quill-feathers 
also well laced. The tail-feathers may be either white or grey, with a good moon at the ends 
of the sickle and side-feathers ; these side-feathers being also well laced with black. I say the tail 
grey (besides the black marking upon it), finding from all my experience that these darker-tailed 
birds always breed better marked chickens, the white-tailed often producing birds too light in 
the lacing; I believe that on this account our best judges also like the dark-tailed birds the 
best. The legs should be slaty-blue. The beak is horn-colour. The colour of the ear-lobes is of 
no consequence, as they cannot be seen, but they are generally white. 
“The crest of the hen should be full and globular ; the larger, of course, the better, provided it 
is of good shape. It should be round as a ball, with no split or parting whatever in the middle. 
The colour of the crest when the pullet has got her first year’s feathers is usually black at the base 
and up the middle of the feathers, edged with white, the width of the edging varying ; but after the 
first year this rule is precisely reversed, the bottom and centre of the feathers becoming white, with 
a black edge or lacing — that is, such feathers as are black — but after the first year many feathers 
become wholly white, and the crest, as a rule, becomes lighter as the bird gets older. The beard 
should be full and ample, well mottled with black and white ; the neck-hackle white, well striped, 
or rather laced, with black ; back, wings, and other parts, every feather a sort of half-moon spangle 
at end, well laced up the sides (i.e., a lacing all round, but much thicker at tip of feather), and bars 
heavily and regularly laced, as in the cock. The tail is white, well marked at the end, and laced up 
the sides. The breast runs more towards a heavy crescentic spangling. 
“ The laced marking thus described is now the recognised style of marking. We used to have 
a really spangled breed, or rather it would be more correct to call it semi-spangled ; but these 
birds now find no favour, the laced marking being considered the only correct thing. It certainly 
is far superior in beauty. 
“GOLDEN-SPANGLED POLISH. — In this variety the marking is the same in every 
respect as that just described, except in the ground-colour. In the cock this should be of a 
bright red on the crest, hackle, back, saddle, and wings ; while the breast, under parts, and tail are 
a reddish brown ; but the black markings are exactly the same as in the Silvers. The ground- 
colour of the hen is a golden brown ; I would describe it as midway between the colour of a 
Golden-spangled and Golden-pencilled Hamburgh — not quite so red as the one nor so yellow as the 
other. The marking is, however, the chief thing ; and if this be heavy and deep any rich golden 
ground-colour will do. This black marking, like the cock’s, precisely resembles that of the Silver- 
spangled. 
“ The breeding of the two varieties is also similar. In putting the birds together, those with 
the largest and best crests should be chosen ; this being the chief point, and any deficiency here 
being surely transmitted. However good a bird may be in lacing, if short of crest it is no use for 
exhibition ; crest, therefore, must be secured to produce high-class specimens. Birds should also 
be chosen without any sign of comb, as this undesirable point is rather apt to appear when not 
wished. Formerly most Polish fowls showed a small two-horned comb, but by degrees the 
