CARNEAUX 51 



ill-shaped, &Iow breeding birds. This class, as he put it, was 

 "blind to everything but color." 



Another class was actually color-blind and could not dis- 

 tinguish slate, gray or even blue feathers from red ones and 

 called everything Carneau that was reddish; as a result they 

 had a lot of Carneau-Homer and other Carneau crosses with 

 redtlisli backs and slate rumps, tails or breast. Such crosses 

 do not look like Carneaux in size, type and markings, 1 ut their 

 red feathers lead many people to believe that they are Carneaux. 



Now, do not understand that pure bred Carneaux do not often 

 have slate or blue feathers along with the red, but if they do they 

 \vill look like Carneaux in type and general appearance. 



As all Carneau crosses have more or less slate or blue feathers, 

 it is a good protection to inexperienced breeders to steer clear 

 of birds with such feathers and thus avoid getting hold of 

 hybrids. 



The natural color of a Canieau is red, with white feathers 

 scattered over the body, rare exceptions yellow. When the white 

 leather is bred out, more or less blue or slate feathers appear 

 and often the red takes on a smoky or dusty appearance. This 

 is due to the pigment in the feather coloring. With no pigment 

 ^)ie feathers are white, with too much they are dark blue, and 

 eo it is hard to get just the exact amount of coloring to make 

 all of the feathers dark red with no white, blue or slate. 



If one knows the true Carneau type it is easy to tell half or 

 quarter breed crosses, as the general characteristics will crop 

 out in one way or another in a hybrid, and this is generally true 

 even of birds with only one-eighth or one-sixteenth other than 

 Carneau blood in them. 



As an example, a Carneau-Homer cross will invariably have 

 i\ flat head with eyes near the top of the head, long bill and 

 generally undersized, with more or less slate. A Carneau-Runt 

 cross will show a long body, short legs, long tail and a tendency 

 to droop the wings, with usually a short thick neck and more 

 or less slate. Even when Carneaux are crossed with white birds 

 of other breeds the young will show dark blue or slate feathers. 



A Maltese and Carneau cross is as a rule just the opposite to 

 the Runt cross, as the body is short, legs and neck long, and the 

 short tail has a tendency to elevate like the Maltese. There will 

 be some slate feathers, but not as much as in the Carneau-Homer, 



