CHAPTEB XYT. 
SPANGLED AND WHITE POLISH FOWLS. 
"VTO sooner do v/e quit tlie White -crested Black Polish than the question of the 
relative superiority of the bearded or wattled birds immediately presents itself, 
as all the other varieties of Polish occasionally exhibit birds with and without the 
heard. The beardless birds, however, have of late years gone entirely out of favour, 
and, as we think, deservedly so, as they are inferior in all the characteristics of 
Polish to the bearded varieties. Mr. Baker, of Chelsea, states, that ‘‘having been 
lately in the south of France, where the Polish are much prized and infinitely 
superior to any we have in this country, I was enabled to make further inquiries as 
to the relative purity of the bearded and unbearded varieties, both Gold and Silver 
Spangled, and was then fully confirmed in my opinion as to the superiority of the 
former. I perfectly recollect that, some twenty years ago, there was a club of Polish 
fanciers at Bingolane, where the well-developed beard was considered of as much 
consequence as a good crest.” 
In the bearded Polish, immediately below the cheek, and covering the front of 
the throat, is a collection of elongated feathers, regularly imbricated and of trian- 
gular farm ; the broadest part, or base, is uppermost, extending in a line, as 
whiskers, below the eyes. These feathers, from the base to the point below, should 
occupy a space of about two inches. In the unbearded birds, the neck is compara- 
tively slender, and destitute of the voluminous hackle that encircles that of the 
bearded varieties : the wattles are large, and the ear-lobe, from the absence of the 
ruff, more apparent. The skull, too, is less rounded, and, as a consequence, the 
crest less perfect, especially in the Gold-spangled, which, as it has been well said, 
appear to be waiting for some lucky accident to give to them good top-knots. The 
principal features of the Polish family — the protuberant breast, arched tail, and 
rounded body — are common to the varieties now under consideration and the 
White-crested Black; but the latter are shorter on the leg and of less weight than 
the spangled birds. 
Of the spangled birds the Silvers may first claim our attention ; and here we 
gladly avail ourselves of the assistance of Mr. P. Jones, of Fulham, a most experi- 
enced breeder and successful exhibitor of this beautiful variety. 
“ The weight of a spangled cock should not be under six pounds — from that to 
seven and a half pounds is large enough ; but a tall large bird shows advanta- 
geously, not only in the poultry-yard, but in a show-pen. The size of the hen is 
