We have already stated that the Penciled Hamburgs were imported into
England from Holland, where they first attracted the attention of
English fanciers, and although there can be no possible doubt in the
mind of an intelligent observer that they originally possessed, with the
Spangled and Black varieties, a common progenitor, still they possess
several distinctly different characteristics. This is owing, no doubt,
to their being so long bred and undoubtedly perfected in a different
country and by a different class of people. These differences consist
chiefly in a smaller and finer form than the Spangled and Blacks—a
smaller head, a smarter appearance, and perhaps more activity, their
motions being very quick and graceful. That they are great layers of a
small but exquisitely white and finely-flavored egg is proverbial, and
on their first introduction into England this quality procured for them
the title of “Dutch everlasting layers.”
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[Illustration: CREOLES.]
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The Silver-Penciled Hamburg is a very beautiful bird, and is greatly
admired by every one who can see any beauty at all in a finely-marked
and gracefully formed fowl. Indeed, we believe that they have the most
_finished_ appearance of any fowl, their markings being so fine and
regular that there seems nothing more to be desired to entitle them to
the palm for beauty.
This variety, besides the name which we have given, were also called
“Chittiprats,” and still later, “Bolton Grays,” under which name they
were widely disseminated, and even yet we believe that in some sections
they still retain this appellation, although all other names are very
rapidly giving way to that of Silver-Penciled Hamburgs. “Creole” was a
name also applied to a variety of Silver-Penciled Hamburgs, the markings
of the feathers of which were very similar to those of the standard
Silver-Penciled Hamburgs (see cut). The “Bolton Grays” were simply
Silver-Penciled Hamburgs “run to seed,” the pencilings being mossy or
smutty.
They are a numerous and attractive class at our poultry exhibitions, and
are gaining ground yearly in popular favor; we have even known instances
where breeders of Silver-Spangled Hamburgs have discarded them in favor
of the Penciled varieties, although we think that the former, in their
way, are fully as beautiful and desirable.
Silver-Penciled Hamburgs, as chicks, are quite tender, but when fully
feathered they are as little liable to disease as any fowl we know of.
They are great foragers, and will almost keep themselves, with good
range, being happy and contented anywhere and shelling out quantities of
eggs under most adverse circumstances.
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[Illustration: BOLTON GRAYS.]
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_Plumage._—In the male bird the plumage of the head, hackle, back,
saddle, breast and thighs, should be a clear, silvery-white. The
yellowish tinge so often seen upon these feathers is a very grave fault,
and one that will not be tolerated by a good judge. There is often a
tendency to penciled or smutty markings on the under-color of the
back—that is, it can only be seen by raising the top feathers. This is
also a serious defect, and should be avoided. The tail proper is black,
the sickles and tail-coverts being a rich green-black, with a fine and
distinct edging of white.
This is the most difficult point to obtain in the plumage of the entire
bird in any degree of perfection—indeed, a perfectly-marked tail is
seldom seen in a cock. Some birds have marbled tails; others have the
sickles splashed with white, which is equally objectionable, as the only
white which should be in the tail is the clear edging. The wing appears
almost white when closed; but the _inner_ webs of the wing-coverts
should be darkly penciled. A fine black edging should be observed on the
wing-coverts, caused by the ends of the _outer_ webs being also slightly
tipped with black, which gives the appearance of a slight and indistinct
bar on the wing. This point should be distinctly observable, but not too
coarse or heavy. The color of the secondary quills is also important.
They should be white on the outer web, except a narrow strip of black
next the quill, only seen when the wing is opened out, the wing
appearing white when closed. The inner web is black, except a narrow
white or gray edging. The fluff should be slightly penciled or gray. In
the hen the neck-hackle should be pure white, entirely free from any
marking whatever. The remainder of the plumage should be a clear,
silvery-white, each feather distinctly penciled or marked across with
bars of black, as clear and distinct as possible and in particular _as
straight across the feather as possible_. The finer this penciling and
_the more numerous the bars, the better_. This penciling should extend
from the throat to the very tip of the tail. A well-penciled tail is
very desirable, and quite difficult to obtain, as there is a special
tendency in the long feathers to lose the straightness across of the
markings. Tails penciled squarely across to the very tip can be and are
bred, but they are never common. One of the greatest faults to which the
plumage is liable is the irregular and “horse-shoe” style of markings
which we so often see in the breast, and, in fact, nearly every part of
the hen’s plumage. This is a most serious defect, and not less to be
noticed because of its frequency. A very usual fault is a light breast,
or not only light, but covered only with these horse-shoe markings. The
birds best marked on the breast are frequently liable to be spotted on
the hackle, and this latter fault is certainly much to be preferred to a
bad breast. However, the best marking on the breast is never quite equal
to that on other parts of the body.
A very desirable point is to have the rows of penciling on one feather
fall onto the rows on the next, giving the bird a ruled or lined
appearance. A coarsely penciled bird is not to be thought of in these
days—although such birds were formerly the rule—as they have a spotty or
speckled appearance, which is not the correct thing at all. A
finely-penciled wing in hens is almost impossible to find, many of our
best show birds being very bad in this respect, the markings being very
light and indistinct.
The penciling is much better the first year—or in pullets; with age it
becomes cloudy, mossy, or indistinct, so that a well-penciled hen is
quite rare. When they do moult out well the second or third season, they
are especially valuable, and should be retained for breeding as long as
they will breed. All tendency to brownish or chestnut colored feathers
(which sometimes make their appearance, although rarely,) should be
carefully guarded against, and when they do appear the bird should at
once be discarded for breeding purposes.
We have enumerated the faults to which this breed is liable so minutely,
not because they are greater than those of many other varieties, but
because they require the most skillful breeding to eradicate. As they
are among the most beautiful fowls we have, so are they among the most
difficult to breed to perfection, and they offer a fine field to
intelligent breeders, who like to feel that they owe the perfection of
their birds to their own efforts. Those men who want their birds _made
for them_, so that they will _breed easily themselves_, had better let
them alone, for they should only belong to the intelligent and
hard-working fancier, who will find them very pliable, and who _can_
reap the reward of his industry and perseverance in beholding in time a
fowl that in beauty and utility shall stand unrivaled throughout the
world.
_Other Points._—The comb in Silver-Penciled Hamburgs is the same as that
described in Black Hamburgs, and averages as perfect as in any other
variety. It is usually rather smaller, with more “work” or fine points
on the top than the comb of the Spangled varieties. The ear-lobe should
be pure white, and is usually very good in this respect, it seeming to
be one of their firmly-fixed characteristics. The face has the same
tendency to white as in the other varieties, and this should be avoided
with like caution. In symmetry they are, perhaps, superior to the
Spangled varieties, and are equaled only by the Blacks in this respect,
birds poor in symmetry being pleasingly scarce. They are not quite so
full in the breast as the other varieties we have described, but have an
exceedingly graceful carriage, and are upright and sprightly in
appearance. Their legs are small, slender, and neat in appearance, and
in color, leaden-blue, which should be very dark—approaching black—in
young birds.
_Points in Breeding Silver-Penciled Hamburgs._—One good point in regard
to this variety is that the same birds will breed fine birds of both
sexes, if the stock is chosen with judgment. Some breeders use two sets,
but we do not consider that they are required, and much prefer to breed
from one yard. Of course, as we have said before, there will be, as in
all varieties, some strains or families that produce better birds of one
sex than the other; still, in this case there should be no great
disparity in the quality of the male and female birds. However, as it is
possible to breed very good show cockerels from hens with no quality of
penciling at all, it is very necessary, in making up a yard for
breeding, that the strain of the cock bird should be known to be a
well-penciled one. The hens will speak for themselves. It is very
satisfactory to remark that our most popular judges favor those cock
birds that possess the points most likely to produce good pullets; and
if such a bird comes of a strain known to produce good pullets, of a
penciling similar in character to those of the hens he is to be put
with, it is sufficient. His tail should be black throughout, the sickles
black except the clear white edging; the wing-bars should be
perceptible, but slight, though the wing-coverts which form it must be
darkly penciled on their upper webs. If there be too little color here
the pullets will lack color also; if the bar be too dark, the penciling
will most likely be coarse, heavy and spotty. As such birds as we have
described above are by no means common, and may not be readily procured
by the average breeder, we shall also give matings for breeding from two
yards, which will be necessary if this is the case; although, be it
distinctly understood, the above mating is our choice, and really the
only proper one.
_For Cockerels._—Mate the best show cockerel you can find with hens much
too light in the penciling to be fit for showing—tolerably marked, but
markings not heavy enough—and if they are irregular, it is no great
matter.
_For Pullets._—Mate a very dark cock with the very best hens or pullets
you can procure. It will make little difference if the cock’s sickles
are entirely black, and his body spotted in places; if he is only
_dark_, he will throw a fair lot of pullets if the hens be good.
The disadvantage of breeding from these two pens is obvious, as neither
strain thus produced can be relied upon to breed in any other way, and
many of the pullets hatched, even if they do not show the approach to
black spangling already referred to, are apt to have the broad and
coarse markings which we are trying to breed out as rapidly as possible.
A cock from the first mating described, if well marked, will throw very
fine pullets, while he will reproduce his own likeness in the cockerels.
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[Illustration: GOLDEN-PENCILED HAMBURGS.]
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