428 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
March 2. 
for although greater extention of limits that would usually 
he implied by this term are requisite for their appearance 
in their best form, they are confessedly unable to rough 
through their existence in the same independent manner 
that most of our other breeds are capable of doing. 
A limited portion of White has not been thought incom¬ 
patible with the plumage of the White-crested Black Poland 
cock’s tail, and has even, sometimes, been alluded to as 
instancing purity of blood. But to this we do not assent, 
considering that any fowl distinctively termed black, or any 
other colour, should be uniformly of that colour, any de¬ 
viation, such as is here provided for by the appellation 
“ White-crested," being alone ' excepted; bronze and red 
markings, in either sex, have been the just cause of many 
summary disqualifications. Poland “ improvers," however, 
have been, of late, as busy with the top-knots, as the combs 
of other birds, and with precisely the same results—the dis¬ 
figurement, and ignominious omission of their pens from 
judicial notice. The Dahlia fancier applies his curling- 
tongs to the petal of his much-cherished flower, and a ten¬ 
dency to irregularity of form is thus checked, but the ab¬ 
straction of the offending portion would mar its own object. 
In the same way, if it is thought that a Poland’s top-knot 
requires cleansing and arrangement in any mode previous 
to exhibition, no one has a right to object to this, so long 
as the bird is allowed to retain the full complement of its 
plumage, although we may gravely doubt the advantage to 
be thus gained if the bird is in good health ; and, if other¬ 
wise, it ought not to appear under any circumstances 
whatever. 
Those who are in the habit of thus “plucking” their 
White-crested Black Polands, would do well to obtain a 
regulative standard for their labours. As frequently every 
single black feather has vanished from the anterior portion 
of the tuft, we should be glad to learn whence their model 
was obtained, for we have never yet been so fortunate as to 
meet with any specimen of this variety, where black feathers, 
more or less in number, were not visible at the base of the 
top-knot above the nostrils. 
Golden Polands have fully maintained their ground, and 
the fierce discussion of some few months since, “ beards or 
no beards," seems, in their case, and with the Silver also, to 
have gone in favour of the beard. We should be curious, 
indeed, to learn whether the pros and cons of this knotty 
point, so ardently and laboriously discussed in the pages of 
The Cottage Gardener, influenced in any way the present 
general desires of the guardians of the public peace, who 
are now so anxious thus to adorn their chins and throats, 
and which municipal and magisterial authorities seem so 
unwilling to permit. What triumph for the advocates of 
the beard, if human bipeds thus become emulous of the 
natural comforts of this portion of the feathered race. An 
elaborate article for the transactions of a learned society 
must testify to this evidence of tlqe value of poultry lite¬ 
rature. 
The beard, we repeat, is evidently popular with the 
exhibitors of the Gold and Silver Polands, and our own 
individual opinion certainly goes with them. For not 
merely do we regard the beard as in good keeping with the 
appearance of the top-knot, but our conclusion, from past 
exhibitions, would lead us to anticipate more birds of higher 
merit, in other respects, among any given number of 
Polands, than we should probably meet with among the un¬ 
bearded. The main faults in this class, as of old, have 
been the imperfect character of the spangle ; frequently so 
heavy as to leave little of the ground-colour visible, and 
nearly as often irregular and spotty. This remark, indeed, 
applies fully as much to the Silver as the Golden birds. 
The top-knots of the latter are among the points to which 
the breeder’s attention should be carefully directed, for in 
the male birds they are seldom regular, and, to our eye, 
the intermixture of white with the rich, golden-orange is no 
improvement, but many good judges, we must acknowledge, 
think otherwise. Black top-knots, again, in the hens, do 
not harmonize with the general tone of the plumage; for 
whether the variety be gold or silver, each feather of the 
tuft should be clearly laced. There were some beautiful 
examples of this in the Silver chicken class at the last 
Birmingham meeting. 
Much that has been said on the Golden is applicable to 
the Silver Poland also. From the results of the past year, 
we should assume that it has been found an easier task to 
breed first-rate birds of the latter than of the former variety, 
especially with respect to feather. The comb, however, 
has here been apt to run coarse ; and too many pens ! 
have been shown in such condition as could only ensure i 
disqualification. 
With the Silver birds the Poland classes usually ter¬ 
minated, but several Societies have now adopted an addi¬ 
tional class for “ Polands of any other variety," to obviate the 
confused medley of several fowls of undoubted Poland 
blood in the class “ for any other distinct breed.” At pre¬ 
sent, we are certainly inclined to think enough has been 
done for them, though their claim to this distinction was 
in every way founded on reason. We say this advisedly, 
since a specific difference between some of these sub- 
varieties has been positively asserted. Now, we are per¬ 
fectly willing to admit, that with regard to Polands, as, 
indeed, to all other fowls, we have much to learn, for the 
confusion from which what we do know has been gradually 
elicited, is sufficient ground to avoid the expression of too 
dogmatical an opinion on matters when the premises admit 
of so much uncertainty. But can we assert as a fact, that 
these white, black, buff, and other varieties hereafter-to-be- 
mentioned, are, indeed, “distinct permanent varieties l" 
Careful selection, for many generations, may have done 
much to establish a near approach to uniformity of plumage, 
but as yet, we apprehend, this evidence is far from com¬ 
plete; and “original distinction" —by which is implied a 
separate existence from all such very remote times—will 
hardly, we suppose, be here asked for. The Bearded-white 
birds (not to be confounded with the “ Albinos ” from the 
White-crested black) though carefully secluded from other 
fowls, have thrown many imperfectly-spangled chickens; 
and rumours attach the same suspicion (for we have not 
ourselves had ocular demonstration of the fact in this 
instance) to the buff and black birds. 
The latter, however, are strikingly handsome; and, when 
in good condition, are a feature in any exhibition. Com¬ 
paratively few specimens have been shown; but, if we 
remember rightly, Leeds had an excellent pen. 
The Bearded-white, again, have many friends, and have 
proved attractive objects on many occasions. The regularity 
of their top-knots is seldom surpassed, and they are birds of 
a stout vigorous habit. The point, however, in which they 
appear to least advantage is the contrast between their blue 
legs and dark bills with the white plumage. A light- 
coloured bird requires, in every case, a light-coloured leg, 
and fortunately for the white Shanghaes and Dorkings, the 
family colour of the extremities suits that of the plumage. 
Of the Buff or Yellow Polands with White lacings, enough 
is not yet known to speak positively of their merits. In 
those that have been exhibited, the colours have not been 
sufficiently clear ; and hence a confused effect. We are in¬ 
clined to believe, that had the yellow been of a somewhat 
darker shade, the contrast of colour would have been better. 
But in this, as in all other instances where Polands are con¬ 
cerned, it would be unfair to judge of any variety merely 
from young specimens—form and feather continuing to im ■ 
prove up to the third, if not, indeed, to the fourth year. 
Humours of the reappearance of the White black-crested 
Poland have been abroad during the last year, and one or 
two fruitless expeditions on the part of keen fanciers were 
thereby induced. A pen of white birds, with dusky top-knots 
and hackle, were the only evidence, at Birmingham, of any 
efforts towards the restoration of this, seemingly, lost race. 
But these we allude to gain little hope of better things 
from the same source—the character of the hackle—even 
supposing the top-knot had been good in colour, being totally 
at variance with the object in view—a plumage of uniform 
white contrasting with a perfectly black crest. 
There were, also, at Birmingham, good pens of the Bine 
Polands with white-crests, and some spotted, or rather mottled, 
birds of the same family, both shown in good condition, and 
deserving notice for this unusual feather. A pen of Cuckoo 
Polands, also, were there exhibited. 
If it cannot be inferred, from what has now been said, that 
Polands, in their different varieties, have equally profited by 
the skill of the breeder with some other families of our 
fowls, we are certain that this has happened from no lack of 
