THE POULTRY BOOK. 
217 
beautifully and regularly laced with a dark border around a light centre. The 
sickle-feathers are fully a foot in length, arching over in the most perfect manner, 
light in colour, and tipped with black at the extremities. 
This case is a very remarkable one. That the barren hen, in assuming the 
male garb, should, as it were, become more masculine than a cock of her own 
variety, indicates very strongly that the hen-feathered condition of the male 
Sebright is an abnormal variation'which has been propagated by the careful process 
of artificial selection, and which w^ould soon be merged in the general stock, were 
it not kept up by care and attention on the part of the poultry fanciers. 
BLACK AND WHITE BANTAMS. 
Black Bantams constitute one of the established classes at the poultry exhi- 
bitions ; and judging from the great improvement that has been effected in them 
during the last few years, are certain to maintain their position for the time to 
come. A lengthened description of their characteristics is not required, inasmuch 
as the plumage should be a uniform black, without the slightest trace of any 
other colour. In the cock the lustre of the feathers should be decided, reflecting 
the same resplendent metallic purple tints that are seen in high-class Spanish ; 
the hens of course being of a duller hue. The comb in the cock should be a 
bright crimson rose-comb ; the wattles and face red ; the ear-lobes perfectly white, 
strictly defined, and not implicating the face ; the tail should be full, carried 
jauntily towards the back of the head, and with well-arched sickle-feathers ; the 
legs short, and black or dark leaden-blue in colour. 
White Bantams, although, like the Black, established favourites at our shows, 
scarcely require a more detailed description. The smallest possible size consistent 
with health and condition, a plumage of immaculate whiteness, a full sickle-tail, 
neat rose-comb, red face, white ear-lobes, neat small-boned white legs and feet, 
include their principal characteristics. In size they should be very diminutive, 
first-rate specimens not reaching one pound and three quarters a pair. 
In the “ Standard of Excellence ” it is laid down as a rule that both black and 
white bantams are disqualified as exhibition birds if the cocks weigh above 20 or 
the hens more than 18 ounces each. 
Mr. Hewitt, whose opinion is always valuable, has furnished us with the follow- 
ing notes on these two breeds : — 
‘^Although the rule is strictly imperative as to Sebrights, that the male bird 
should be perfectly hen-tailed, the contrary holds good with both Black and White 
Bantams, in both of which varieties well-developed sickle-feathers are essential. 
When the tail is thus ample, it adds also very greatly to the general beauty of the 
bird. Of late years, at many of our poultry exhibitions, we have met with 
specimens far less in size than those formerly shown ; and adult hens, in good 
condition, varying from ten to twelve ounces in weight, are not by any means 
rare, both among Black and White Bantams. The cocks will generally exceed 
the w^eight of their mates by about a quarter of a pound. 
