50 WYANDOTTES. 



hard task to fix them on a black fowl, without sacrificing color; 

 white appearing at times in under-color, wings and tail. 



Every naturalist knows that black fowls do not, as a rule, have 

 yellow legs ; and every naturalist knows that by far the greater 

 number of standard varieties do not follow nature in their standard 

 points; all are, more or less, artificially bred from comb to tail; a 

 constant watchfulness, culling and selection being kept up, year 

 after year, to prevent natural colors, natural type and facial ap- 

 pendages appearing in the broods. This is conceded, then, in the 

 case of Black Wyandottes : a dusky leg would be more natural to 

 the variety, fewer disappointments in breeding would occur; novices 

 could take up their breeding with reasonable expectations of success, 

 and feel assured of rarely seeing light under-color or white in the 

 plumage. 



On the other hand, it is claimed that breeding Black Wyandottes 

 with yellow legs saves the variety from deterioration, as those with 

 black legs may or may not be pure, and no variety can be so readily 

 " made up to order " as Black Wyandottes with dark legs. A Black 

 Wyandotte mated with very dark Plymouth Rock hens, or Black 

 Javas, will, in a few generations, pass muster for Black Wyandottes, 

 and there are scores of breeders and jobbers ever ready to turn 

 a quick sale to account, and not over scrupulous as to the manner 

 of breeding, to obtain the black plumage and black legs. 



Another point urged in favor of yellow legs is, that as all the 

 other varieties of Wyandottes have bright bay eyes and yellow legs, 

 it would be odd to have one of the family differing from the others 

 in color of legs. Some white varieties have pale or flesh-colored 

 legs, and some have blue ; and some black varieties have yellow 

 legs. Much depends on the material used in making a black vari- 

 ety, or on the stock from which it is a ''sport ; " that is one great 

 cause which works against a successful fixity of yellow legs in black 

 fowls. No doubt, time and patience will accomplish the breeding of 

 Black Wyandottes with yellow legs, and a yellow leg is far prefera- 

 ble to black, if too many otherwise splendid specimens be not sacri- 

 ficed annually, for so small a matter as the color of legs. 



Much could be said for and against the question of yellow 

 legs in this variety. Personally, we much prefer, the yellow legs, 

 for the reason that it would enhance their value, and lead many 

 amateurs to take up their breeding, who would not be attracted 

 to them if bred with black or dusky legs. Yellow legs would not 

 make them better layers, provided pure Wyandottes were bred with 



