FOURTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VII. 



501 



prolific in egg production. This is a difficult question to properly adjust 

 to the satisfaction of the specialty breeders, but from a conservative 

 standpoint it is generally considered that the Whites have slightly the 

 advantage over the others. Phenomenal individual egg records have 

 been made by almost all varieties, but the above opinion is advanced 

 from the general results obtained from various sources. 



There are subvarieties both in Brown and White Leghorns — the Rose- 

 comb Brown and the Rose-comb White. The only distinguishing differ- 

 ence between the last named and the other varieties is in the comb. 

 The Rose-comb White and Rose-comb Brown Leghorns have a small rose 

 comb (see fig. 23), square in front, firm and even upon the head, taper- 



FiG. i 3 —Rose-comb White Leghorn cockerel. 



ing evenly from front to rear, without inclining to one side, the top com- 

 paratively flat and covered with small points, or corrugations, terminat- 

 ing in a well-developed spike in the rear. There is no standard weight 

 given for Leghorns. 



MIXORCAS. 



The Minorcas belong to the Mediterranean class, and they are placed 

 next to the Leghorns in laying qualities. They are in appearance very 

 similar to the Leghorns. Their general outline is, in fact, that of the 

 latter, but of more length of body and heavier in mold. Indeed, they 

 are the only variety of the Mediterranean class that has a given weight 

 which approaches that of the Wyandotte, being only one-half pound 

 lighter. The origin of the Minorcas, like that of so many others of our 

 profitable poultry, is much in doubt. Some are of the opinion that they 

 originally came from Minorca, one of the Balearic Isles, in the Mediter- 

 ranean Sea, while others contend they are a variety of the Black Span- 

 ish. Be that as it may, they are one of the most profitable breeds of 

 poultry for the farm. 



