FANCIERS’ 
JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
671 


Pouttry Department: 
THE GAME COCK. 
Black as the deepest night 
Was the breast of the chanticleer, 
As it shone in golden light, ~ 
‘When he bid the morn good cheer. 
Red was his glist’ning back, 
Reflecting the sun’s bright ray, 
And vieing with the oranged neck, 
To outbrilliant the eyes of day. 
Bold as the thought of man, 
Invading the unknown sphere, 
Was the Game Fowl’s courteous mien, 
As he moved without a compeer. 
Quick as the lightning flash, 
When it strikes the shud’ring tree, 
Was his stroke at the hawk so,rash 
As to think the hero would flee. 
Cold on the sward so green 
Is the pirate of the sky ; 
Above him stands, with spurs so keen, 
The Game Cock with victorious cry. 
WiL~Mor BuRGAN. 


(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
MARYLAND STATE SHOW. 
Our cattle show is over, and, barring the usual disagree- 
abilities attendant upon the giving and receiving of pre- 
miums, it was a fair to middling success in the Poultry and 
Pigeon Department. The Pouter class was poor, the best 
birds not matching in the pen, the second premium only 
being given to a moderate pair of whites, Stevens & Co. 
The Carriers were a very ordinary lot, no pen matching, 
therefore, no premium was awarded, in accordance with the 
By-Laws of the Association. 
The Barbs were good, though there were but two pens, 
both belonging to Stevens & Co. Short-faced Tumblers were 
scarce and ill matched ; lst to Stevens & Co., 2d to Cochran 
& Co. Owls were good; Ist to Cochran & Co. for powdered 
blues. Turbit class pretty good, though most of the birds 
were hooded instead of point-headed. Fantails were fair ; 
among them a superb white hen anda neat little pair of yel- 
low-splashed birds were the choicest. The 1st and 2d pre- 
miums to Cochran & Co. There were also some very rare 
whites with black tails exhibited by J. E. Delaplain. Of 
Jacobins or Ruffs, the Ist to Stevens & Co., for a pair of 
whites; the 2d to the same parties for a pair of yellows so 
much out of condition that they should not have been noticed. 
~ In Swallows, a well marked pair of blacks took Ist without 
any trouble, for Stevens & Co. Premiums were also given 
for Antwerps, Flyers, Archangels, and Flying Tumblers, to 
Stevens & Co. PIMLICo. 

SIZE AND TREATMENT OF BANTAMS. 
In rearing these interesting pets the chief aim is to main- 
tain the diminutive character or to reduce the size, if 
possible ; as they seem to possess a natural tendency, under 
ordinary treatment, to exceed their parents in proportions, 
which they generally do, unless prevented by scientific 
means. 
The prevailing idea is to accomplish this by late hatch- 
ing, which has the effect intended in some cases, marred 
perhaps by preventing at the same time the complete growth 
of the late tail feathers, which will be considered a defect 
in the show-pen; so that this plan of depending on the effects 
of cold weather to stop the growth may be considered as 
only partially successful. Another process for acecomplish- 
ing this object, is to diminish both the quantity and quality 
of food—which seems readily to occur to amateurs; but as 
some varieties of the Bantam class are somewhat delicate, 
the partial starvation process has the etfect of either causing 
them to become still more so, or of killing them eventually. 
They really require a stimulating and nourishing diet, 
selected with a view of rejecting the bone-forming ingredients. 
The first soft food for tender young chicks should be bread 
crumbs, scalded with milk and then squeezed nearly dry, so 
as to readily scatter in fine bits, for which the birds have a 
decided relish, not forgetting to mix with this food a little 
pepper for the weakly ones, especially during cold and 
stormy.weather. To follow this feed, say after they are 
four or five days old, we would recommend well-boiled rice, 
salted to taste; when nearly cold incorporate with it suffi- 
cient coarse ground barley meal, and occasionally a very 
little oat meal, to form into crumbs or pellets, which may 
be fed without waste, a little at a time, and as often as rel- 
ished ; which, with the addition of other food, which does 
not make bone rapidly, will carry them through either early 
or late seasons most successfully and humanely. 
DESCRIPTION OF LIGHT BRAHMA COCK. 
Beak.—Rather short, thick at the base, and with a slight 
curve; color, yellow, with a dark horn-colored stripe. 
Comb.—Pea, resembling three small combs joined into one, 
the centre one being higher than the two outside; the centre 
ridge straight, and the whole so low that it will not shake, 
however quickly the bird moves his head ; each part or ridge 
slightly and evenly serrated, and of a rich, bright-red color. 
Head.—The head should be small in proportion to the 
body ; the top of the head should be rather wide, causing a 
slight fullness over the eye, but not so much as to give a 
cruel or Malay expression to the bird; the whole head being 
rather short. Color white. 
HAye.—F ull, bright and clear. 
Wattles.—Rather small, well rounded, and of a rich, 
bright-red color. 
Deaf-Ears.—Rich bright-red in color, and falling slightly 
below the wattles. 
Neck.—Rather long, neatly arched, with the juncture at 
the head very distinct; hackle starting out just below the 
head with a full sweep, and being very abundant, and de- 
scends low enough to flow well over the back and shoulders. 
Color, pure white, with a distinct black stripe down the cen- 
tre of each feather, the stripe ending in a sharp point at the 
end of the feather. 
Breast.—Deep, full, and broad, and carried well forward ; 
the breast bone or keel deep and well down between the 
thighs. 

