February 20. 
feature of the male hire! are now and have been long in 
force, degeneracy in every feature, their certain con¬ 
sequent, should not be matter of surprise. This applies, 
of course, in its full extent merely to the “ laced ’’ 
varieties. The evils of the course that has in this case 
been adopted are, it may be hoped, sufficiently apparent 
to forbid the possibility of success to those who would 
seek the recognition of the “henuy” tail for the Ham¬ 
burgh cock. 
Bantams may be thus classified 
Gold-laced. 
Silver-laced. 
White. 
Black. 
Game. 
Nankin. 
Partridge. 
Booted. 
A general description of form may be applicable to all 
these. Beak curved, and short in proportion to the 
bird; head narrow; forehead rounded; eye bright; 
back short; breast very prominent; carriage unusually 
erect, the back of the neck and the tail feathers being 
almost in contact; body round and full; legs short and j 
clean; wings depressed. 
In respect of weight, likewise, a common remark may 
here suffice. Seventeen ounces for the male, and four¬ 
teen for the female bird, was the common standard 
when Bantams, as was the case some few years since, 
received almost exclusively the attention of amateurs, 
now shared by many other varieties. The evils of this 
course, however, became so apparent in the quality of 
the progeny, that we are speaking within bounds when 
an extension of three ounces to each sex is advised. If 
perfect birds below these weights are produced, to them 
let the honours be still assigned; but fault should not 
be found with specimens thus in excess of what has 
formerly been considered their proper limits. 
Of the Sebrights, it is expected that every feather 
should be delicately and evenly laced with black on a 
clear yellow ground for the golden, and a silvery-white 
for the other variety; the tail is sometimes described as 
“ tipped ” with black, and many prize-birds would be 
thus rightly described; but we hold that “ lacing,” even 
in the tail-feathers, should be the breeder’s aim, for wo 
have seen this portion of their plumage exhibit equal 
perfection in this description of marking with that on 
any other part of their body; and such is evidently 
more in unison with the required features of the bird. 
Any running out of colour shown by a spotted body, or 
clouded tail, disqualifies at once; the legs to be slate- 
coloured; comb double, minute in tho hens. The 
cock’s tail-feathers to be rounded at their extremities; 
nor should he shew either the hackle or saddle-feathers 
of his sex. 
Tho White Bantam should be a bird of exceeding 
symmetry of form, and not to exceed the Sebright 
weight; we certainly prefer the rose-comb and sickle 
tail, with bill and legs, as in the White Dorking, of a 
389 
pale flesh-colour. Feather-legged White specimens to 
be shown in the booted class. 
Blaclc Bantams now muster strongly at our exhibi¬ 
tions, whei’e, as with Black Shanghaes, they must be 
uniformly of that colour; for the brassy winged birds, 
and those with golden hackle, have no business in this 
class, although they might appear among the “ Red- 
breasted,” and “ Duckwing Game” of their family. The 
ear-lobe of the Black Bantam ought to be well-developed, 
and of a clear white ; tail as in the White; legs dark 
slate; comb a full, deep-coloured-rose in the cock, and 
small and purple in the hen. 
The Game Bantams are a class that of late, though 
numbering but few specimens, have combined symmetry 
of form and brilliancy of feather to an extent rarely 
witnessed in other divisions of the poultry show. 
The Blackbreasted and Thickwing birds of this class 
are fac-similies of what we should look for in the 
markings of their corresponding colours among the 
Game fowls. 
The Nankin, or common Yellow Bantam is, probably, 
the nearest approach to the original type of the family— 
the “ Bankiva fowl.” The male has a large proportion 
of red and dark chesnut on the body, with a full, black 
tail; while the hen is a pale orange-yellow, with a tail 
tipped with black, and the hackle lightly pencilled with 
the same colour. Combs vary, but the rose preferable 
True bred specimens of these birds being by no means 
common, considerable deviations from the above des- 
I under this appellation. 
The Partridge Bantam exceeds the other varieties in 
size. Cock’s hackle yellowish-brown, saddle-feathers 
! lightly streaked with black ; tail ample and black ; back 
and wing-coverts partridge-coloured; primary wing- 
feathers bay, but dusky at their extremities; under 
parts of the body dark drab. Hen’s hackle yellow, 
lightly marked with black; breast and under part of the 
body drab, the rest partridge-coloured; legs light grey; 
combs rose. 
Booted Bantams are of various colours, and their 
usual size is in excess of the weights already given. 
The Creepers and Jumpers; the Chinese, or Tartarian 
Bantam, with some others, occasionally appear in the 
class for any other variety, where their relative claims 
for superiority must rest on neatness of figure, and 
regularity and condition of feather ;—a more particular 
statement of required points being, in this instance, 
impracticable within our allotted limits. 
The Spangled Bantam is so rarely seen in perfect 
feather, that a simple allusion to the fact that they 
should occupy the same position with regard to the 
Spangled Hamburghs as tho Game Bantams do to the 
Game Fowl proper, may be held sufficient for our 
present purpose. 
DRUMSTICK ASPARAGUS. 
Some of our readers who have not gone through the 
toil of watching closely the sayings and doings of horti- 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
