THE LEGHORNS 



75 



arc! of Perfection says, it should have "no tendency to io\-m- 

 low shape of neck," or even to fall close to the head, but" 

 it should gracefully clear it with a nicely curved edge up 

 to the terminating point. From front to back the fine 

 comb will be straight and firmly set on the head, free 

 from any bent, twisted or wrinkl d places; and aside from 

 the finely grained surface, it should be quite smooth. 



Readers may think I dwell too long upon the qualities 

 of a fine comb, but when one observes how rarely a first 

 prize is ever given to any but the Leghorn with an ele- 

 gant comb, the necessity for keeping this section up to 

 the Standard will be understood. 



The last standard description for the Leghorn head 

 was "Short, deep;" in the present issue we read 

 "Moderate in length, fairly deep." The fine Leghorn head 

 is moderately small, nicely rounded and the neck tapers 

 nicely to where it joins the skull. The eyes are "nearly 

 round," and are bright and alert in expression. It is very 

 seldom there is any expression of cruelty in the Leghorn 



finishing touches to the genuinely superior, all-round- 

 standard-quality show bird, and these rarely attained 

 fancy exhibition points help a long way toward deciding 

 whether the bird is to be a prize taker and a great profit 

 maker. 



On the correctly plumaged Leghorn the edges of the 

 earlobes and wattles that join the feathered side are not 

 buried or covered by coarse feathers, but the plumage 

 appears neatly tucked up under them. 



The Defective Head 



In contrast to the regular, gracefully curved lines of 

 the ideal, there are the coarse, irregular defects, all too 

 commonly found and reproduced where indifferent mating 

 is permitted. With the profitable demand constantly in- 

 creasing for standard-bred fowls of exhibition quality, it 

 pays and pays well studiously to cull out the defective 

 specimens, for their defects are sure to be repeated and 

 often exaggerated in the annual reversion to the original 



face. This race is the personification of industry in "hen- 

 dom" and it is only natural that the expression should in- 

 dicate this habit. 



From the "nicely curved" beak hang the thin wattles 

 which fanciers desire to see well rounded with the oblong 

 edges, curved forward, not hanging in wrinkled folds 

 close to the neck. To hang properly they will have to be 

 almost perfect in conformation and manner of attach- 

 ment. The manner in which they are joined to the beak 

 is very important and if they are wrinkled at the beak 

 they are almost sure to hang irregularly. 



Perhaps one of the most characteristic fancy features 

 of the modern show Leghorn is its ear-lobes. They must 

 be soft, smooth and spotless in surface, like a new kid 

 glove. The object of this article is not to take up any dis- 

 cussion of color, but we will state here that perfection of 

 the lobe demands a life-long perfect condition. Even a 

 slight sore or frost bite, bruise or scar will mar the beauty 

 of the lobes almost irreparably. If you are looking for 

 Leghorns that have always been well cared for you will 

 find that perfect lobes are an almost infallible indication 

 of good care. 



In general outline the lobes are oval or "bioadened 

 almond shape," as the Standard describes them. The 

 upper end of the lobe is commonly the larger. They 

 should not be puffed or in any part "lumpy," but rather 

 thin, smooth and free from wrinkles or indentations. To 

 produce a lobe approaching perfection is a real achieve- 

 ment and it adds much to the beauty of a show bird. Of 

 course it is a fancy section and on a poorer specimen 

 would be little thought of. We are writing here of the 



parent birds. Only the closest selection of the best will 

 insure progress. Breeding from such birds is bound to 

 bring improvement. The sketch showing "defective" 

 qualities is not imaginative, but is a combination of some 

 of the more common irregularities that appear in the yard 

 of the man who permits his fowls to mate and produce 

 "any old way." Coarseness from careless breeding here 

 brings the natural product — a cull. Domestication with- 

 out care and studious breeding breaks up the line of an- 

 cestry and the habit of producing a certain type. This 

 illustration is a fair example of a product of blood lines 

 that instead of being adapted to rules that harmonize, ex- 

 hibit mixed, contrary natures. The comb twists and has 

 grown in a very irregular manner. It puckers from over- 

 growth in front over the nostrils. Many serrations of un- 

 desirable shape have developed. There are double serra- 

 tions, sprigs at the rear and two large points have out- 

 grown their strength and lop over. At the front the com^ 

 extends too far over the beak; at the back it is so far 

 overgrown that the blade pushes against th« neck where 

 it joins the head, producing an irritating sore where the 

 comb has broken. The face, wattles and ear-lobes are 

 also very coarse and wrinkled, the wattles being uneven 

 in length. Where the wattles and the face join the beak 

 and mouth there are rough lumps that add only ugliness 

 and grossness to the face and head. 



"Well," you say, "that is a cull, he will be eaten." He 

 ought to be, but some breeders send this kind to market 

 and the marketman says to Mr. Suburbanite, "That's a 

 Leghorn. They are great layers," and the outcome of it 

 is that such a bird heads a pen of "Leghorns." After Mr. 



