252 
THE POULTRY BOOK. 
tlie breeding stock, there would not be the slightest visible trace of the bar sin- 
ister in their escutcheon. 
With regard to the characteristics of these quaint little orientals, much need 
not be said ; their form is so correctly given in the sketch by Harrison Weir that a 
lengthened description is not required. The fluffy plumage, the uncouth cochin 
form, the feathered legs and single comb, are admirably portrayed. 
As they are regarded as Bantams, it is needless to insist on the fact that the 
smaller the size the more highly would the specimens be valued in the show-pen. 
Pekin Bantams are stated to be good sitters and mothers ; the males even take a 
share in brooding the chickens ; but they have been too recently introduced into this 
country and too sparsely distributed for their merits to be generally appreciated. 
Since the above description has been in type, we have received the follow in- 
teresting account of the cross-breeding of these birds from one of the most successful 
exhibitors of the variety, who states : — 
‘‘ The first pen ever exhibited was at the last show ever held at the Crystal 
Palace. I believe that was in the year 1863. Whenever I have heard of these birds 
being shown I have made inquiries about them, and can only find traces of the one 
original stock. To remedy the mortality of my chickens, I last year procured a 
White Feather-legged Bantam hen with single comb, and penned her with a Pekin 
Bantam cock ; from them I reared one cross-bred pullet, which I mated with a 
Pekin cock. I have now hatched from her eggs some very fine chickens, that can 
scarcely be distinguished from the pure-bred birds, excepting that they carry the 
tail rather too high. I think in another season I shall be able to breed out that 
defect as I intend to put a cross-bred cock to the pure Pekin hen and also breed 
from the pure-bred cock with the cross-bred pullets. I have no doubt I shall obtain 
chickens very like the original. The cross-bred chickens that I have raised this 
year have been very strong and easily reared.” 
JAPANESE BANTAMS. 
The comparatively recent extension of our intercourse with the Japanese people 
has resulted in the addition of a new variety to our list of Bantams. 
Examples of the Japanese breed have been frequently exhibited at our shows, 
and good specimens have almost always secured prizes in the class for new varieties 
of Bantams. 
The birds of this breed may be described as exceedingly short-legged, full- 
feathered, little fowls, with largely-developed single combs, and very full-sized 
well-sickled tails. 
In colour they vary very much ; some are marked in precisely the same manner as 
the Cuckoo Dorkings, both cocks and hens showing the same transverse bands of 
dark greyish blue over a lighter ground-colour ; others are variously marked and 
speckled ; but by far the prettiest arrangement of colours in the plumage is found 
in those that have pure white bodies and wings with flowing black sickle feathers 
in the tail. 
