SILVER WYANDOTTES LAWS OF BREEDING. 27 



tendency (just the reverse of its proper form), and the surface 

 prominently displaying hollows of various sizes. 



" In selecting for breeding, comb must be one of the chief con- 

 siderations, and I shall always insist on a neat, fine, evenly corru- 

 gated one, the surface corrugations being very small or pimply, with 

 a spike of moderate length, closely following the bend of neck. 



" We cannot be too careful in the selection of our sires and 

 dams, for not only will their faults or merits be seen in their own 

 progeny, but a fault will frequently appear in the stock of later 

 generations." 



LAWS OF BREEDING. 



" EVOLUTION." As we have given much space to breeding in 

 this work, we can devote only a few pages to this important subject, 

 though it is the first time that such a subject, its scope and treat- 

 ment, has been brought forward in a work devoted to poultry. 

 The law of evolution, so far as it is understood, is a law controlling 

 development and keeping types within appointed circles of growth, 

 which revolve for ever upon themselves, returning at appointed 

 intervals to the same starting point, and repeating, through a suc- 

 cession of phases, the same course. 



" PREPOTENCY." Is the power possessed by a bird of stamping 

 his or her likeness upon the progeny of a union, to the exclusion of 

 the likeness of the other parent. Some males have been remarkable, 

 renowned and distinguished for such individual power, but experi- 

 ments have proved that certain colors are more enduring than 

 others, and are more readily transmitted. Most all breeders seem 

 to favor the prepotency of the sire in externals, and, when the sire 

 is white, his color is usually transmitted; but, when a Black-Red 

 Game sire is crossed on Gray or Duckwing hens, the result is 

 different. There is more or less counteracting influence in every 

 opposite union, a sort of " see-saw " influence, or balance of male 

 and female; this is as nature intended it should be. 



A " BREED." This is generally understood to mean a natural 

 division of species, differing in certain distinct points from all other 

 species, A breed may consist of several "varieties," agreeing in 

 certain common features, but differing in others. Varieties are 

 generally artificially produced, or they may be produced by different 

 climatic or such like influences operating upon certain individuals 

 of a breed. They may also be the result of a " sport," which is an 

 accident or freak of nature, whereby is produced offspring differing, 



