The Illustrated Book of Poultry . 
47J 
On_ gicat difficulty in judiciously breeding Japanese Bantams has hitherto been that of 
obtaining biids to select fiom for the purpose of crossing; both imported and home-bred birds 
havin fa been scarce. Hence little choice is often possible ; but when an opportunity occurs so that 
the breeder is fortunate enough to have birds to select from, he should choose a cock of good 
carriage, with shoit, clear, yellow legs, drooping wings with black flights, body white, tail erect, 
with long black sickle-feathers, showing white shafts, comb large and upright, with moderate 
serrations, and wattles long and red. As very short yellow legs are an essential characteristic of 
the Japanese Bantam, the hen should be very carefully chosen in that respect, with drooping wings, 
black flights, white body, and tail large, erect, and fan-shaped. The hen’s comb is crinkled. 
The chickens of these Bantams are less faulty and truer to their parents than most other 
breeds. Barly chickens are to be avoided, as they cannot bear cold or damp when young. June 
and July are, therefore, the best months for hatching these somewhat delicate little pets. The 
time most fatal to the chickens is when they are shooting their tails and combs. At that period 
warmth and stimulating food are of great advantage. 
“ I have bred them more than ten years. The first I bought was a cock, imported by 
Messrs. Baily and Son, being unable at that time to procure a pair. I afterwards bought a hen 
from the same importers, but not being then acclimatised, I had considerable disappointment, and 
was at one time inclined to give them up, as at first they would hardly breed. Perseverance has, 
however, repaid all my trouble, and I am now able to look upon a large family of handsome 
Japanese Bantams. 
“ I may add that they are very quiet and domesticated, and less pugnacious than other 
Bantams. The hens are careful and good mothers, and very good layers.” 
There is another variety of the White Japanese Bantam, in which the cock’s tail flows in a fine 
sweeping semicircle. In perfect specimens, the centre of these feathers is of the deepest glossy 
black, finely edged or laced with white, like the tail of a Silver-pencilled Hamburgh, but with even 
greater contrast and definition of the two colours, the gloss on the black in good specimens being 
marvellous. Such birds rarely fail to take prizes, but are very scarce, cloudy or mossy tails being 
more the rule. 
A third variety of Japanese Bantam has been very successful wherever exhibited, especially 
in the hands of the Rev. W. Serjeantson. In general shape it resembles the White Japanese with 
sickled tail, but is of a cuckoo colour ; or rather, perhaps, a kind of irregular speckle, somewhat 
resembling Houdans. These are stated to be fairly hardy and to breed freely. It is believed 
that the progenitors of this variety originally “sported” from the White; and, accordingly, the 
chickens are far from being as true to colour as could be wished. 
LACED BANTAMS. — 'The beautiful Gold and Silver Laced Bantams, also very commonly 
called Sebright Bantams, are perhaps the most extraordinary proof of what can be done by careful 
breeding which could be found within the pages of this work. So entirely is every feature the 
result of art, and so well did Sir John Sebright (known as a skilful breeder of shorthorns and other 
animals, as well as of poultry) keep his secret as to the process of manufacture, that for a long 
period the most erroneous and contradictory accounts were current as to the origin of these 
beautiful birds, some affirming that they had been imported from the East. After the death of 
the right honourable baronet, however, truer accounts, obtained from various members of the 
family, began to appear; and in the Journal of Horticulture for 1865 was published the fullest 
and most detailed account of the matter we have yet seen, as follows : — 
“It was about the year 1800 that the late Sir John Sebright first began to fashion the Sebright 
