306 



RAYMOND IMARL. 



The drawing was made from actual birds, and is therefore not 

 wholly imaginary or idealistic. The pair of birds figured belonged 

 to a Mr. C. C. Corbett, of Norwich, Conn., and represented a 

 high degree of excellence for the time. 



The chief points of interest in this picture for the student of 

 genetics are the relatively dark color of the birds and the indis- 

 tinctness of the pattrrn. In both respects, of course, these birds 



^y 



FIG. 2. Plymouth Rock fowls as they appeared in 1872. This is believed to 

 be the earliest adequate picture of birds of this breed. 



stand in marked contrast to the Barred Rocks of the present 

 day. While a generally barred effect is evident, the pigment 

 obviously spreads over a great deal of the feather, encroaching 

 on the areas which are white in a modern Barred Rock. 



The fact to which I wish especially to call attention is that 

 these early Plymouth Rocks were evidently very similar indeed in 

 color and color pattern to the F\ birds obtained, by crossing a modern 

 Barred Rock cf with a 9 belonging to some heavily pigmeutcd 

 breed, such as for example the Cornish Indian Game. Allotting 



