STANDARDS FCR LEGHORNS. 



original bird. These differences are well 

 shown in the drawing by ViX. Franklane 

 Sewell of an American Brown Leghorn 

 cockerel, iirst prize at Boston in I goo, for 

 which we are indebted to The beat her ed 

 World. 



There are also some differences in colour. 

 Buffs in America, at the time we write, are 

 one or two shades lighter than the orange buff 

 popular in England ; and Browns are liked 

 somewhat darker in the cock's hackles, and a 

 darker partridge in the hens. 



Little need be said about judging Leg- 

 horns. All real breeders, without exception, 

 agree that many judges have laid too much 

 stress upon mere size, and that 

 Judging there is urgent need for more atten- 



Leghorns. tion to the distinctive Leghorn 

 type, which is not so heavy as 

 that of many birds exhibited. Many also have 

 expressed regret that so much favour has been 

 shown to large combs. There was a time when 

 breeders themselves favoured these ; but the 

 fatal sterility thus caused, and widespread 

 experience of the necessity for dubbing in con- 

 sequence, has opened their eyes. Our opinion 

 has been indicated ; beyond that we cannot 

 pronounce. 



The Standards of the Poultry Club for 

 Leghorns are as follow: 



GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 



Head. — ■Skull : Fine. Beak : Stout, the point 

 clear of the front of the comb. Comb : (a) Single, 

 or, in Blacks only, (6) rose ; (a) of fine texture, large 

 but not overgrown, perfectly straight and erect, 

 deeply and evenly serrated, the spikes broadening 

 at the base ; extending well beyond the back of 

 the head and following, without touching, the line 

 of the haxkle ; free from thumb marks and side 

 sprigs ; (b) moderately large, firm, not overgrown 

 so as to obstruct the sight, the leader extending 

 straight out from the head, and not following the 

 line of the hackle. Face : Smooth and of fine 

 texture, and free from wrinkles or folds. Wattles : 

 Long,^ thin, and of fine texture. Ear-lobes : Well 

 developed and rather pendant, equally matched in 

 size and shape, smooth, open, and free from folds. 



Neck. — • Long, and well furnished with haclde 

 feathers. 



Body. — Wedge-shaped, \\'idc at the shoulders, 

 and narrowing to the root of the tail. Breast : 

 Round and prominent, the breast-bone straight. 

 Back : Shghtly rounded and sloping to the tail. 

 Wings : Large, but tightly carried. 



Tail. — Moderately full, carried at an angle of 

 40 to 45 degrees. 



Legs and Feet. — -Legs : Fairly long, the shanks 



Toes : Four, long, straight, and 



free from feathers 

 well spread. 



Carriage. — Verv alert and sprightly, 



Weight.— 6 lb.' to 8 lb. 



With the exception that the Comb in the single- 

 combed varieties falls gracefully over to either side 

 of the face, and the Tail is carried closely and not 

 at such a high angle as the cock's, the general 

 characteristics of the hen are similar to those of 

 the cock, allowing for the natural sexual differences. 



Weight.— 5 lb. to 7 lb. 



COLOUR 



THE BLACK 



Beak : Yellow or horn. Eyes : Red. Comb, 

 Face, and Wattles : Bright red. Ear-lobes : White 

 or cream, the former preferred. Legs and Feet : 

 Yellow or orange ; toe-nails, yellow. 



Plumage. — Rich blue-black, perfectly free from 

 feathers of any other colour. 



Note. — The Rose-combed Black is the same 

 colour as the single-combed variety in all sections. 



THE BLUE 



Head points, Legs and Feet : As in the Black. 



Plumage. — One even medium shade of blue from 

 head to tail, a little darker blue allowed in the 

 hackles and saddle of the cock, but the more even 

 the colour the better. 



THE BROWN 



Beak, Eyes, Comb, Face, and Wattles : As in 

 the Black. Ear-lobes : Pure opaque white, re- 

 sembling white Idd. Legs and Feet : BrilUant yellow, 

 toe-nails to match beak. 



Plumage of the Cock. — Neck-hackle : Rich orange 

 red, striped with black, crimson red at the front of 

 the hackle below the wattles. Back and Shoulder- 

 coverts : Deep crimson red or maroon. Wings : 

 Bow, same as back ; coverts, steel blue, with green 

 reflections forming a broad bar across the wing ; 

 primaries, brown ; secondaries, deep bay on the 

 outer web, which is all that appears when the wing 

 is closed, and black on the inner web. Saddle : Rich 

 orange red, with or without a few black stripes. 

 Breast and Under-parts : Glossy black, quite free 

 from brown splashes. Tail : Black, glossed with 

 green ; any white in tail is very objectionable. Tail- 

 coverts : Black, edged with brown. 



Plumage of the Hen. — Hackle : Rich golden 

 yellow, broadly striped with black. Breast : Salmon 

 red, running into maroon around the head and 

 wattles, and ash grey at the thighs. Body colour : 

 Rich brown, very closely and evenly pencilled with 

 black, the feathers free from light shafts, and the 

 wings free from any red tinge. Tail : Blacky outer 

 feathers pencilled with brown. 



THE BUFF 



Head Points and Legs : As in the Black. Toe- 

 nails : White. 



Plumage. — Any shade of bufif from lemon to 

 dark, at the one extreme avoiding washiness and 



