74 THE BIRDS 



efforts are necessary to break up their nests in the Spring. 

 Their popularity is growing by leaps and bounds. The 

 Rhode Island Red Club of America, an organization com- 

 posed of breeders of Rhode Island Reds, is one of the largest 

 speciality organizations in America. 



Wyandottes. The Wyandottes are another breed of 

 American origin. Unlike the Rhode Island Reds and the 

 Plymouth Rocks they closely resemble the Cochin in shape, 

 being short-bodied. The silver laced Wyandotte was the 

 first representative of this group, other varieties being sub- 

 sequently developed from it. The White, which is the most 

 common variety to-day, probably came as a sport from the 

 early type. The most distinctive features of the Wyan- 

 dottes are the short, wide body and the short leg. They 

 are full feathered, with a small cushion on the back, and very 

 full breasted. Being so plump, they make ideal broilers 

 and roasters. A distinctive feature of the Wyandotte is 

 the rose comb. One variety of this breed has a very beautiful 

 plumage pattern, and is popular at American Poultry Shows, 

 although not quite so much so as the Rocks and Reds. Their 

 eggs are brown. The short body has a tendency to hinder 

 heavy egg production. Probably no breed furnishes a better 

 medium or large broiler, or a fuller breasted, tender roaster 

 than the Wyandotte (Fig. 50). 



Orpingtons. The Orpington is a bird of English origin, 

 and is deep-bodied, full-breasted, and of good weight (Fig. 51). 

 It has a white skin and pinkish-white shanks, which com- 

 pare unfavorably with the yellow skin and shanks of our 

 American breeds. It is doubtful if the Orpington will ever 

 rival the three general utility breeds that have been described. 



Dorkings. The Dorking is the English utility breed. These 

 birds lay a goodly number of eggs, and tend more to egg 

 production than to flesh development. They are rather 

 long-bodied birds, of dark plumage. The Dorking has a 

 fifth toe which emerges from the hind part of the leg just 



