Orpingtons and Langshans. 
453 
It will be seen that the Orpington, whilst of similarly complex origin to the Plymouth Rock 
and Wyandotte, is of much later date ; and its establishment is therefore still a question to some 
extent speculative. Its economic qualities are readily obtained by suitable crosses ; but the fixity 
of external characters is less easy, and, it will be seen above, is by no means accomplished as yet. 
There are some special difficulties in the way. Our experience has almost always been that in any 
Asiatic crosses the Asiatic tends to predominate ; and hence no doubt the rapid reversion to the 
smaller, tinted egg, in all Langshan-Minorca crosses. But in this case, we have the double cross ; 
and we have already seen that while it is certain the Black Java was a progenitor of the Plymouth 
Rock, it probably was also of the Langshan. In choosing black Rocks, Mr. Cook was choosing 
the strongest reversions to the Java type ; and what with this, and the Langshan, the Orpington could 
hardly do otherwise than revert most strongly to the Asiatic element, as shown by the smaller 
combs, lustre, and smaller tinted egg. In many Orpington classes we have seen fowls barely 
distinguishable from clean-legged Langshans. Even so, such birds stood very clearly apart whilst 
the persistent attempt was made to maintain the stilty, squirrel-tailed type of Langshan ; but since 
the shorter-legged and fuller-breasted type has won the day, the distinction has greatly lessened 
between the two, apart from clean legs, which could be bred in Langshans easily. We have no 
doubt whatever that the Orpington has had its share in bringing about the acceptance of a 
medium-shanked type of Langshan. 
These facts make careful breeding all the more necessary if the breed is be preserved, and 
finally added to the recognisea distinct varieties of poultry. For this reason chiefly, and also 
according to views already expressed in the last chapter, as to the inadvisability of multiplying 
mere trivial or fancy varieties, in races whose claims rest chiefly on economic qualities, we would 
strongly urge the concentration of Orpington breeding into the rose-combed variety, as most dis- 
tinctive. However this may be, there can be no question that the points in which the fowl is 
superior to the average run of Langshans should be carefully cultivated ; we refer chiefly to the 
shorter legs, and broader and more prominent breast. As we remarked of the Rocks, an Orpington 
without these points has absolutely no justification for existence. There is no fear but that red 
feathers will practically disappear in time ; there is far more fear that the type may be lost in the 
Langshan as regards points like these, and it is also very desirable that the size of the egg 
should be kept up. The difficulty as regards both is connected with the adoption of the smaller 
comb, the breeding out of which has a strong tendency to breed out the larger egg and other 
Minorca elements, in favour of the Asiatic type generally. Proper care may perhaps prevent this, 
and it is also probable that judicious selection for a few generations from the hens which lay 
the largest eggs, in the largest batches, might improve that point materially. On the whole, 
however, we are disposed to think that the strength of the double Asiatic cross may need to be 
counteracted by a greater portion of Minorca blood than has generally been employed. 
An Orpington cock of the type represented is a most noble-looking fowl, and all that can 
be desired as a table fowl, barring the prejudice against black legs. We may remark that the 
sweep and general outline closely resemble that of Mr. Thomson’s type of Langshan as first 
noticed by us at Birmingham, and referred to in a previous chapter ; but those birds had less 
breast ; indeed, so prominent a breast would only be seen in an adult Orpington, fed up for exhibi- 
tion or the table. 
PTARMIGANS, rather commonly shown some years ago, but scarcely ever seen now, were 
degenerate descendants from some former importation of Sultans. Like them, they were pure 
white, crested, bearded, feather-legged, and vulture-hocked ; but, unlike them, stood remarkably 
