158 
THE POULTKY BOOK. 
purity of the white in the tail; their legs are nearly always far too light, the 
slightest shade of blue only being visible in the front ; the back being white and 
flesh colour. 
All the four varieties are non-sitters ; the Golden-mooneys are the least prolific ; 
the others, where the place is not over- stocked with fowls, and they can have their 
liberty, lay an extraordinary qauntity of eggs, and are so fertile that every egg 
generally produces a chick. There is no trouble in attending them when hatching ; 
the chicks generally break the shell in nearly equal halves, and (unless the eggs 
were very old when set) within a few minutes of each other ; they are lively little 
things ; immediately after being hatched, almost as soon as they are dry, they will 
put out their little neat heads all round the hen. As compared with other 
chickens, they are restless, nearly always seeking for insects, requiring but little 
hand feeding, and if they have their liberty and a good grass run they are very 
quick in feathering and remarkably easy to rear ; but when confined in a yard, or 
at a place where there is a large number of chickens, they sometimes die off quickly 
in whole broods ; at other times they will remain pining about without growing for 
w^eeks and then recover. 
In their first feathers they are beautifully pencilled (Fig. 4), and are not spangled 
on any part whatever, until they get their second feathers, then it is the fancier 
anxiously scans the development of each feather, scrutinizing the shape of the spots 
most narrowly. The deaf-ear, also, at this time begins to show itself in a bare 
silver coloured spot ; should it be bright red, even at this early age, there is little 
hope of its ever becoming wholly white. 
They are truly the cottager’s fowls, and if allowed will often make their appear- 
ance in the house, where they become the tamest of pets, flying on the shoulder or 
hand of the person who feeds them; yet with strangers they are very shy and wild, 
especially if the owner or some one of his family is not present.” 
The Black Hamburgh, or Black Pheasant fowl, remains to be described. This 
variety is rising rapidly in public estimation, and there are no large shows where 
it does not make its appearance, even when no distinct prizes are offered for the 
breed, as they are frequent winners in the Variety Class. Black Hamburghs are 
larger than the spangled breeds : heavy cock birds will not unfrequently attain a 
weight of six or seven pounds. The general character of the plumage is strongly 
marked, it being a superb jet black, with an intense velvety-green spangle at the 
end of each feather. The tail in the cock is very long, full, and well developed ; of 
a deep hue, the outside flowing feathers being glossed with the richest green-black ; 
the breast of the cock is also of an intense black, with dark green spangles ; the 
lower wing-coverts, or what constitutes the bars in the lighter breeds, are of an in- 
tense, well-developed green, extremely beautiful ; the legs and feet blue ; the cock’s 
comb is largely developed and better shaped than in any other double-combed bird ; 
the wattles are large and round, but not particularly long ; the ear-lobe is white 
and round : very distinct from face, which is perfectly red. The hens are large, 
