THE LEGHORNS 



The firm texture of the comb is emphasized by the way 

 the long rear blade extends backward, as though in no 

 danger of drooping. The lobe is the largest, except per- 

 haps on No. 5, of any in this collection, yet the face re- 

 tained its pure red surface. 



Attention is called to the pose of No. 17, Group 3. 

 The head is turned quartering — slightly to the front. It 

 takes a bird having a finely hackled and arched neck to 

 exhibit such a nice curve from the point where the head 

 joins the shoulders when posed in this manner. This 

 view shows the erect position of the serrations, but it 

 does not show that they lean backward as in No. 12, 

 which is another view of the same bird. An unusually 

 long plumaged cock that won first at Boston, 1907, was 

 shown by Elm Poultry Yards. His picture is No. 8. There 

 is a proud bearing in the pose of this bird, and the neck 

 with its bold arch is joined nicely to the head. The ex- 

 pression and form of the eyes are fine. The surface of 



on the Leghorn female. One old breeder whose Leghorns 

 won at many leading shows twenty years ago, told us he 

 succeeded best in producing fine-combed males by using 

 females that had medium-sized combs that stood "straight 

 upright," and that he produced the most showy females 

 by breeding from males whose big combs were loose in 

 fiber and fell somewhat limp "to one side." This we note 

 is now practiced by some English breeders of Minorcas, 

 but we do not believe it is practiced to any extent by our 

 Leghorn breeders in America. 



The modern sized female Leghorn comb, to be cor- 

 rect, should stand nearly erect in front, including the first 

 point, the remainder of the comb drooping gracefully to 

 one side. Following are some of the chief requirements 

 to be sought in a female Leghorn head: A proud pose; 

 brightness of eye; graceful curves of the lines of the head, 

 comb, wattles, lobes and beak; proper joining of the head 

 with neck; finest in the surface of the face, comb, wattles 



odel in 1901 but would not be today. No. 2S was a 



the comb, however, is excessively rough grained and the 

 points, although five in number, are not well defined in 

 shape. The lobes are more oblong than "almond" shaped. 



The cockerel winning first at Boston, 1907, No. 14, 

 Group 3, also belonged to Elm Poultry Yards. He was 

 a male of extreme curves and sprightliness. He had one 

 of the most crescentic formed backs and saddles that 

 could be imagined. The third, fourth and fifth points of 

 the comb are nicely formed, but the first two front points 

 are not good and the rear blade droops somewhat, being 

 too close to the head. The wattles and ear-lobes are a 

 little too short to balance the height of the comb. Alto- 

 gether, however, it is a neat head. 



No. 16, Group 3, shows an elegantly proportioned 

 cockerel that won first at New York in 1907, and that the 

 judge claimed was the most typical Leghorn male he had 

 ever seen. This head shows beautiful proportions and it 

 would be difificult to criticize it, except on the first two 

 points of the comb. These are not properly separated and 

 the coarseness of the fleshy lumps where the wattles join 

 the mouth, is objectionable. This last is a point often over- 

 looked, but one that may detract from the expression of 

 an otherwise fine head. It is often found on Mediter- 

 raneans with large combs and wattles. 



Heads of Winning Female Leghorns 



Although the "Little Italian" is well known by her 

 head gear, these adjuncts vary considerably in size and 

 form, often so much as to change the characteristic ap- 

 pearance to those who are not familiar with the styles of 

 head-dress these jaunty birds afifect. 



The Standard demands a comb that falls to one side 



and lobes; correct number of points on the comb: the 

 manner in which it rises in front over the beak and droops 

 to the side. 



The spirit of the bird has much to do with her show- 

 ing a fine head and comb to good eiifect. Some birds are 

 so nervous and twitch their heads so constantly that an 

 attempt to examine it while a bird stands in its cage is 

 well nigh useless. Other birds, although this is rarely the 

 case with healthy Leghorns, may be found moping in the 

 far corner of their cages. To find them alert and inter- 

 ested in every passing observer, not frightened or fidgety, 

 but posing in jaunty self-consciousness, is pleasing and 

 this style should be encouraged in the Leghorn. 



Nos. 18 and 19, Group 4, date back to 1902 at Boston 

 when Chas. J. Fogg won all four firsts in the open classes. 

 The birds were fine for that day, truer to Leghorn type 

 than those that had been winning at many of the im- 

 portant shows. They have not the slender, reachy style 

 of neck, but show daintiness and well-curvod lines. The 

 comb in No. 18 is a little thick and wrinkled over the nos- 

 trils. The eyes of both are round and bright. The head 

 of each is well rounded. The front of the comb of No. 19 

 takes an unusual bend toward the side on which it falls, 

 as if originally the comb had started to turn the opposite 

 way. 



In 1901 another large Leghorn pullet, No. 27, Group 

 6, was placed before me as a model. This bird was some- 

 what above the average of the larger Leghorn females 

 shown today and was looser in feather. The comb had 

 too many points, and after falling over to the side was 

 inclined to turn upward. The comb is too large to suit 

 present-day breeders. 



