4 So 
i he Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
but tli.. suuin gradually works in,” and ultimately the Silver is lost. Sad experience 
this, and hence, while it is admissible to cross from the Silver occasionally to improve 
olden, the Silver biids thus produced, though they may be exhibited, should not be 
allowed to breed with any pure Silver strain. 
NANKIN BANTAMS. — This is one of the most ancient breeds of Bantams, and probably 
the parent, or rather one of the parents, of many other breeds, formed by crossing it with different 
rav.es of large poultry. It is still sometimes seen at shows (two fine hens were shown at 
Biimingham a few years back), but rarely takes prizes, being almost always larger than other 
vaiieties, which of course is a great disadvantage. We kept a hen of this variety when at schooL 
and she proved a first-rate layer, quite equal in number of eggs to any barn-door fowl. 
In this variety of Bantam the colour of the hen closely resembles that of the Buff Cochin, the 
hackle being darker, and sometimes spotted with black, and the tail usually tipped with black. 
The cock’s general colour is more of a chestnut on the upper parts, or rather very dark orange 
gold, like a very dark Buff Cochin, the tail being glossy black, and of a good full sweeping 
character. The legs are dark and smooth. The combs are met with both single and rose. 
Mr. Oliver E. Cresswell brought this Bantam again into notice by a beautiful pen exhibited at 
the Crystal Palace “Bantam” Show of 1872, and has at present a fine yard of them. He has at 
our request kindly added the following more detailed description : — 
“ This lovely breed of Bantams has been sorely neglected of late, but I do not think any 
catalogue of Bantams complete without mention of them. There are those, though not among the 
class of exhibitors, who, knowing their beauty and merits, have kept and bred them carefullv 
through a long series of years ; and excellent specimens may sometimes be seen at gamekeepers’ 
cottages in remote districts, where they have long been kept as foster-parents to partridges. The 
remembrance of a lovely little hen I possessed years ago, and the desire, common to most 
enthusiastic fanciers, to keep some breed different to one’s neighbours, induced me to hunt for 
them. I obtained my first stock from two distant counties, and from their union bred the birds 
which took first prize at the Crystal Palace Bantam Show, and I shall be only too pleased if 
fanciers can be persuaded to follow my example, and, hunting up good birds where they are little 
cared for, will attempt to breed them to a definite standard of beauty. 
“Their points, subject to correction from more competent judges, I consider to be, first — 
size as small as possible ; second, combs single or double (I prefer the latter, but am told that the 
best Nankins of thirty years ago had single combs) ; third, legs blue or white. The former are 
preferable, but I find them difficult to obtain, as the birds of one of my original stocks were white- 
legged. As long as all the birds in a pen match in colour of legs I do not consider the colour 
itself an essential point. 
“The cock has an amusing and conceited gait, with flowing sickle-tail, and wings almost 
sweeping the ground. His breast and body are of a deep ginger-colour ; the back, wing- 
coverts, neck and saddle-hackles a rich orange or chestnut ; the tail chestnut or copper, shading 
into black. 
“ The hen’s general colour is a clear buff, like that of a Buff Cochin. In some birds it is of 
a ginger, in others of a canary hue, with neck-hackles as free as possible from dark lacing. The 
tail is brown, shading into black towards the end. The unseen half of the primary wing-feathers is 
often, as well as in the cock, black. 
“Nankins are the most tameable and engaging of Bantams, excellent layers of large eggs for 
their size, and the most careful mothers,” 
