They were originally called Silver Pheasants in Yorkshire, and Silver Mooneys in Lancashire. These latter, while the most numerous and best bred, admitted only hen-feathered cocks, and were brought to a high state of perfection. Mr. Beldon says: “Some of the old Mooneys were absolute perfection in point of feather; the spangling, so large, round and rich in color, was really something to be wondered at, and shows a skill and enthusiasm in breeding which, in the absence of public shows in those days, has about it something of the marvelous.”
When poultry shows first came into fashion these Mooneys received the lion’s share of the awards at all the exhibitions, until it came to be considered utter foolishness to pit any kind of fowl against them, and they enjoyed their exalted position for several years unmolested. At the expiration of this time, however, breeders of the Mooneys were thrown into confusion by the sudden and unanimous decree of the judges that these “hen-feathered Mooneys” were all humbug, and not “the correct thing,” inasmuch as so many of these “hen-feathered” cocks proved unprolific or imperfect that long-tailed birds were secretly used to keep up the breed. There was so much evident truth in this that the struggle, though sharp, was of short duration; the judges triumphed, and the reign of the Silver Mooneys as show birds was over, while the star of the Silver Pheasants steadily rose, until nothing was recognized but the full-plumaged cocks, though the hens still lacked the nice spangling which had rendered the Lancashire birds so much admired, the spangles being small and indistinct. It may be well to state here that the Yorkshire birds were the original variety, the excellence in spangling attained by the Lancashire fanciers being the result of judicious breeding. The Yorkshire birds had better symmetry, whiter ear-lobes, smaller combs and clearer tails, and it is from them that our modern Silver-Spangled Hamburgs are descended. They are fully up to the other varieties in productiveness, and possess all the good traits of the breed, while their exceeding beauty renders them remarkably attractive.
_Plumage._—Of course the spangling in the Silver-Spangled Hamburg is of primary importance, and should be regarded with the utmost care. As the spangling differs in the sexes, we shall be obliged to describe them separately.
