STANDARDS. 



327 



the hackles, and black in the inner webs of the 

 wing feathers. This was gradually improved 

 by care, and some breeders introduced Light 

 Brahma blood, which of course remedied this 

 fault a great deal, but brought occasional 

 trouble with the leg-feather, and also too much 

 fluff. The progress of the variety has been by 

 no means rapid, and there is much yet to be ac- 

 complished before a perfect specimen is pro- 

 duced ; but there is no doubt that better hens 

 than cocks have been bred. The greatest 

 improvement, within recent years, has been, 

 perhaps, in hackle marking, both density of 

 black and lacing being much better than 

 formerly. Still, there are yet to be seen too 

 many males showing canary -colouied tops, 

 somewhat ugly combs, and fluff on legs. Hens, 

 on the other hand, are of good type generally, 

 and have much improved as regards hackle 

 lacing, while body colour is good. With a 

 little more density of black in hackle, and 

 better lacing at the throat, the female would 

 almost attain to ideal standard requirements ; 

 but this will take some time to accomplish. 



In this case also the selection of colour and 

 markings for breeding should follov.' the same 

 lines already described in Light Brahmas 

 (pp. 268-269). The main points are a really 

 clear while, not cream, and distinctly striped 

 hackles, not all black ones, which involve too 

 often black ticks on what should be a white 

 body. The proper balancing of colour has 

 been described in the chapter referred to, and 

 it is a good plan to mate with a cock hens 

 showing a little more than less colour, until 

 the way they breed is ascertained. 



As regards the recently introduced varieties, 

 the Blue, Red, White-laced Black, Pile, and 

 Spangle may be mentioned. All are at present 



practically in an evolutionary 

 Other stage, the more advanced being 



Varieties. probably the blue and the pile. 



The former, which is the most 

 popular, is as far as possible bred to one level 

 colour, and several very creditable specimens 

 have been seen at poultry shows. A few good 

 piles, spangles and reds have also been penned 

 at the classic exhibitions. It is impossible to 

 say with any degree of certainty if all are 

 likely to have a vogue, but the newly formed 

 Variety Wyandotte Club should greatly assist 

 in encouraging the breeding and exhibiting of 

 these sub-varieties of the Wyandotte family. 

 Cuckoo Wyandottes, of which a pair were ex- 

 hibited at the Dairy Show of 1897, have not 

 made the headway expected, possibly owing 

 to their resemblance to Barred Rocks in 

 plumage. 



The Wyandotte is perhaps the most im- 

 pressive modern example of the efficacy of that 

 line-breeding fully explained on pp. 185-187 

 of this work. The " m.arked " varieties present 

 plumage of considerable difficulty, obtained by 

 amalgamating very heterogeneous materials 

 and some of them have been produced within a 

 very recent period ; yet something like standard 

 marking has been obtained in a surprisingly 

 short space of time. Years ago so much pro- 

 gress in so short a time would have been im- 

 possible, as is proved by the history of the 

 Silver Wyandotte, the first and progenitor of 

 the family. We saw many yards of that 

 variety, and the average produce of the great 

 mass were to all appearance the merest 

 mongrels, of all kinds of marking and pepper- 

 ing, from which only a few could be selected 

 that were fair show specimens. That was the 

 result of buying and crossing stock according 

 to the ordinary method, which many fanciers 

 pursue even yet ; while some of those who 

 adopted in-breeding, and thereby soon ob- 

 tained better marking, by their want of system 

 obtained less than they might have done, and 

 in many cases lost size and shape and constitu- 

 tion. By employing the more systematic 

 methods already referred to, the history of 

 the more recent varieties has been a marked 

 contrast to this. Breeders have knov.'n v.'hat to 

 do, and by the systematic method of line- 

 breeding have obtained equal results in a much 

 shorter space of time, and upon the whole 

 without any manifest physical deterioration. 



GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 



Head. — Skull : Short and broad. Beak : Short 

 and well curved. Eyes : Of medium size. Comb : 

 Rose, firmly and evenly set on the skull, low, square- 

 fronted, and gradually tapering towards the back and 

 terminating in a small but well-defined spike or 

 leader, which should follow the curve of the neck 

 and without any upward tendency, the top oval 

 and covered with small and rounded points, the 

 side outline of the comb being of convex shape, 

 curving to conform to the shape of the skull. Face : 

 Smooth, and of fine texture. Ear-lobes : Of oblong 

 shape, well developed and smooth. Wattles : Of 

 medium length and fine texture, and well rounded. 



Neck. — Of medium length, and abundantly covered 

 with hackle. 



Body. — Short, deep, and round. Breast : Broad 

 and round, with straight keel. Back : Broad and 

 short. Saddle : Full and broad, and rising with a 

 concave sweep to the tail. Wings : Of medium 

 size and well folded. Sides : Well rounded. Fluff : 

 Full and abundant. 



Tail. — Well developed, spread at the base, the 

 true tail feathers carried rather upright, the sickles 

 of medium length. 



