THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND 
by Hie honest admission, “ lie wished he had never been 
induced to take the office, for it was only one variety of 
fowls he had ever kept, or studied as to their peculiarities;” 
whilst the indisputable traits of character in this single 
species evidently afforded the party alluded to his invariable 
and constantly-appealed-to “ standard” for all other classes ! 
More equally gross cases of incompetency and unsuitable¬ 
ness might with ease be adduced; but the exposure is any¬ 
thing but self-satisfactory to ourselves, and would, probably, 
if farther enlarged, only engender feelings of distrust towards 
those individuals who would ill deserve such unmerited 
condemnation. We have always desired to produce good 
feelings and the prosperity of our poultry meetings generally, 
as they not only tend most extensively to the improvement 
of all varieties of fowls, but they equally add (by yearly 
reunions) to the friendship and satisfaction of their owners, 
equally with all others who may attend them. If, however, 
the evil exposed remains unmitigated and in force, can any 
fixed standard be attained, the confidence of amateurs 
insured, or even the meetings themselves prove stable ? 
LANCASHIRE HAMBURGH SHOWS. 
I annex you particulars of the local Poultry Show at 
Mr. James Heywood’s, Bow Lee, near Middleton, held No¬ 
vember 7th. Single pullets only are shown, all of the Ham¬ 
burgh varieties. The fine pens of Silver-spangled Ham- 
burghs were aR of them excellent birds, well broken, and the 
white clear, the moons large and glossy green-black; the 
other points good. The Golden-spangled were good birds, 
but the ground-colour of all of them is rather darker than 
what has hitherto been the favourite at Birmingham and 
other larger Shows; but both will muster in good force, on 
the 2nd of December, at Birmingham, as far as I can hear. 
The Silver-pencilled were very fair birds; but there are 
better in the neighbourhood, which are entered for other 
Shows, the breeders wishing to reserve them for what they 
consider the best Show. 
The Golden-pencilled were beautifully-marked birds; but 
I fear the size is degenerating throughout the country; and 
they are a difficult class to breed and keep good, as the 
plumage alters so very much from time to time; getting 
lighter. 
The Black Hamburghs were, without exception, the best 
birds I ever saw exhibited; and I am only sorry there is 
not a distinct class for them at the Birmingham meeting; 
but I have little doubt of their creating one by-and-by, as 
they are, in my opinion, one of tb e best classes of fowls 
bred for useful purposes, laying well, and good-sized eggs ; 
and, when together, their extremely glossy green-black plumage, 
large white ear-lobes, and double-red combs, form one of 
the best groups in the poultry-yard.—G. D. Rushton. 
Single pullets only shown. 
Golden-spangled. —First, Mr. James Heywood, Bow Lee, near 
Middleton. Second, Mrs. Jonathan Booth, Hailsworth. Third, Mr. 
James Parkinson, Simister Lane, near Middleton. Fourth, Mr. James 
Heywood. 
Silver-spangled. —First, Mr. John Scholes, Bucklow Green, near 
Hollinwood. Second, Mr. James Lancashire, Tonge Lane, near Mid¬ 
dleton. Third, Mr. James Partington, Simister Lane, near Middleton. 
Fourth, Mr. Jno. Hall, Hollinwood. 
Silver-pencilled. —First, Mr. John Grundy, Simister Lane, near 
Middleton. Second, Mr. James Heywood. Third, Mr. Wm. Par¬ 
tington, Simister Lane, near Middleton. 
Golden-pencilled. —First, Mr. James Wilde, Hailsworth. Second, 
Mr. Jos. Scholfield, Butter Green, near Hollinwood, Third, Mr. Wm. 
Lancashire, Simister Lane. 
Black Hamborhgs. —First, Mr. Jno. Booth, Hailsworth. Second, 
Mr. Charles Jahons, Simister Lane. Third, Mr. Joseph Scholfield, 
Becklow Green, near Hollinwood. Fourth, Mr. Jno. Grundy. 
ON THE ORIGIN OF SEBRIGHT BANTAMS. 
Respecting the origin of these remarkable birds no 
satisfactory account has ever yet been given to the pub¬ 
lic ; consequently, numerous and contradictory statements 
are current. Sometimes they have been termed the “Se¬ 
bright Jungle Fowl,” as though they were the direct and 
unmixed descendants of a breed from the Indian jungles; 
but the wild original is unknown to naturalists. Others, 
again,have attributed their origin to careful crosses between 
the old Nankin-coloured Bantam, and some of our so-called 
Hamburghs or Pheasant fowls ; whilst a third have referred 
them to a cross between the Bantam and the Laced Polish. 
COMPANION, November 18, 1856. 121 
The last supposition seems, at first sight, to be the most 
monstrous, from the assumed difficulty of getting rid of the 
crest and nostril of the Polish fowl; but,"in reality, this is 
not an objection. I have, for some time, been devoting 
much attention to the different Polish varieties and their 
crosses, and can state from experience that, by careful selec¬ 
tion, the Polish crest may be entirely bred out in the second 
generation, that is to say, that fowls may be one quarter | 
Polish, and yet no trace of crest visible. I do not say that 
this will be the case in all the breed; but it will be in many; 
and the converse also holds good, that many birds reared 
from a half-bred Polish and a pure Polish may show no 
perceptible falling off in the size of crest from that of fowls 
whose pedigree is unmixed. 
For example, last season I reared some cross-bred fowls 
between White Cochin hens and a White Polish Cock ; they 
were white, slightly crested, bearded, with blue legs, slightly 
feathered ; one I kept as a sitter, and she was running this 
year with a very large-crested Polish cock. I hatched a few 
of her eggs, and have now before me a White Polish 
cockerel thus produced with very full crest, the only trace 
of his illegitimacy being that his blue legs are slightly 
feathered. 
I mention these cases to prove that the Polish «rest is 
not an inseparable objection to the Polish Sebright theory ; 
but, fortunately, I have something more than mere theory 
to advance. The following account was, by the kindness of 
Dr. Horner, obtained from the present Sir Thomas Sebright, 
for the purpose of publication in the new edition of “ The 
Poultry Book;” but it appears to me so exceedingly in¬ 
teresting as to deserve the greatest circulation that can be 
given to it; and, therefore, I have no hesitation in forward¬ 
ing it for publication in The Cottage Gardener. 
Dr. Horner states, “ The following information was cour¬ 
teously given me by the present Sir Thomas Sebright him¬ 
self. It was about the year 1800 that the late Sir John 
Sebright just began to fashion the Sebright Bantam. The 
cross was between some common Bantam and the Polish 
fowl. These were bred in and in until the required marking 
and size were secured. Sir John then accidentally found a 
short-tailed Bantam cock in the country where he was tra¬ 
velling. This short-tailed bird he in-bred with his newly- 
manufactured Bantams, thereby giving their progeny the 
present form of the short tail. 
“ Sir Thomas is quite satisfied that it was the Polish, and 
not the Golden Pheasant (so absurdly nicknamed now 
Spangled Hamburgh), with which the Bantam was first 
crossed. I thought, in my inexperience, that the top-knot, 
beard, &c., of the Polish could hardly have been got rid of; 
but the last two seasons alone have been sufficient to show 
me how easy it is to get rid of these appendages. Thus, last 
year, I had a young cock bird with a beard, and also with a 
crest of feathers behind a somewhat irregular rose comb. 
This bird was bred from a Golden Polish cock, and one of 
Sir Thomas Sebright’s Golden Sebright Bantams. 
“This year I crossed this young cock with a Golden 
Pheasant hen, and obtained three chickens, all cocks. One 
of these is quite free from both beard and crest, and with a 
fine l’ose comb and good wattles; the other two have no 
crests, but have some bear’d, fine rose comb, and small 
wattles.” 
This account, I think, may be regarded as putting the 
question at rest, for I do not see that we can have any 
higher authority on the subject; and I must say that I 
feel a considerable amount of pleasure in having been the 
channel through which this interesting fact has been made 
known.—W. B. Tegetheier, Tottenham. 
EGGS IN WINTER. 
Experientia docet.* 
“ Confound the fowls ! I have not had an egg these two 
months. Hang me if I do not twdst the neck of every 
mother’s son; ay, and daughter too; they are a perfect 
nuisance. What is the use of keeping these wretches? 
They eat and eat, and not as much as an egg from any 
single one.” Such were the anathemas from a testy bachelor 
neighbour of mine last year. “ Well, well,” I replied, “ tell 
Betty not to buy any more meat for a week, for you must 
* Translation. Experience does it.— Printer's Devil. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S 
