THE LEGHORNS 



79 



32. 3i 



No. 21 was one of the earliest Leghorns we photo- 

 graphed at New York. This picture is placed in this col- 

 lection to illustrate a pose peculiar to very nervous Leg- 

 horns. The neck just below where it joins the head is 

 much bent, like the upper part of the letter "S." It has an 

 excessive arch and curves in at the throat under the 

 wattles. Nos. 24 and 28 illustrate better poses, the latter 

 being quite the correct form. 



No. 20 shows too much of a bend at the juncture of 

 the head and neck. In this head the comb is nicely 

 formed, but falls too limp and close to the face. 



No. 31, Group 7, may be said to be just the opposite 

 from the two preceding. The neck is too straight and 

 stiff where it joins the head. The pose makes the bird ap- 

 pear proud, but it lacks the desired graceful curves over 

 the back of the neck. This comb is about right in size. 

 It has an unusually large lobe, which 

 when smooth and as good as in this 

 specimen is highly valued. 



No. 34 shows another long, 

 straight neck, longer in proportion to 

 the bird than was No. 31 and the neck 

 is rather straight in front as well. 



Nos. 32, 33 and 34 show nice 

 small combs that approach Standard 

 requirements. When viewed from 

 the side they show most of the base 

 of the comb and the head. No. 34 

 shows a comb that rises nearly 



"erect" in front, while No. 32 makes a mems, inc 



gradual curve at the front of the 



comb, the points continuing the curve to their extent, 

 giving a pretty eflfect. No. 33 has a very small comb that 

 droops hardly to the eye. The second point as well as the 

 first is nearly upright. This head and neck belong to one 

 of D. W. Young's finest breeders and most noted New 

 York winners. She was a hen of clear cut Leghorn style 

 and exhibition quality. The wattles on all four of this 

 group are of show room fineness. In regard to form of 

 heads and beaks, all those in this group are fine. In No. 

 33 there is a tendency to be perhaps too fine, or "delicate" 

 might express it better. 



When the somewhat larger comb is produced on a 

 Leghorn female that shapes itself into a graceful, almost 

 faultless form and shows perfect color in the show room, 

 on an extra fine bird, it is very apt to receive its share of 

 admiration and perhaps the first ribbon of honor. The 

 small single head with the initial "T" is a specimen of this 

 type that won first for D. W. Young in 1908-1909 at New 

 York. There is a persistent feeling among poultrymen, 

 which comes no doubt from experience, that these beauti- 

 ful large combs when they appear in a standard-bred 

 strain, are an indication of unusual vigor in the egg-pro- 

 ducing organs. Many experienced breeders assert, how- 

 ever, that their birds with small standard combs keep up 

 to the highest requirement for egg production. Personally 

 we cannot help admiring such a comb when it is so grace- 

 fully formed as this one and its bright color serves to add 

 gaiety to a specimen of solid colored plumage. The 

 wattles of this bird are larger than are considered ideal, 

 but they are in harmony with the size of the comb and are 

 quite symmetrically carried. 



No. 22. Group 5, won first as pullet in New York 1902; 

 also won second as hen for Mr. Young in 1903, again in 

 exhibition pen won first at Boston, 1905. As a pullet her 

 comb was quite as attractive as the specimen seen in the 

 initial letter. Like many others, when she aged, the comb 

 grew somewhat coarse. On this head it stood very well in 



front, even when grown quite large. The wattles are not 

 large enough to balance the comb as they did when the 

 bird was a pullet. The comb seems to have outgrown 

 them. The lobe turns squarely instead of being nicely 

 rounded at the lower edge. The head is of fair length 

 and indicates the length of back and cushion which the 

 hen possessed. She carried her tail moderately low as a 

 hen and transmitted this fashionable quality to many suc- 

 cessful winners. 



No. 23 presents a front view of a comb that closely 

 approaches standard description. Some fanciers might 

 desire it to be a little smaller, but this style is very attrac- 

 tive on exhibition hens. This pose was photographed when 

 she won first in exhibition pen at Boston. Her comb shows 

 just five well defined points. The front was well up, the 

 remainder bending gracefully over and not falling too 





close to the face. The points are well divided and nicely 

 tapered. The front point is not so well shaped as it might 

 be, being too blunt. The wattles are of proper size to go 

 well with this size of comb. 



No. 28, Group 6, is another of Mr. Young's famous 

 winners. Three times she won first at New York and once 

 at Boston. She was a hen of queenly carriage. Her comb 

 forms almost a perfect curve over the top as it droops its 

 five regularly formed points. This comb and No. 23, 

 Group S, are types that a breeder can depend upon to pro- 

 duce both males and females for exhibition. The ear-lobes 

 and wattles of No. 28 are well set on and nicely formed. 

 The lobe is nearly flat and free fronm wrinkles. The eye 

 is well placed and rounded in shape. The head is deep and 

 well set on a neck handsomely posed. The carriage of 

 the whole head is typically Leghorn in spirit. 



Nos. 26 and 29, Group 6, show two views of a busi- 

 ness-like looking hen, although when compared with such 

 heads as Nos. 23 and 28, her head fails in show fluality. In 

 No. 26 there is lack of depth of head and face. The eye is 

 more sunken and not so bold. The face and beak are 

 longer drawn out and the comb is not set on firmly, show- 

 ing a weakness in the form of wrinkles over the beak 

 and breaking down at the rear blade instead of turning 

 over in a gradual curve. The first point is not well de- 

 fined, taking only the form of an angle and the third and 

 fourth points join as a double point.. The wattles drop 

 too straight in front and the throat looks weak. 



No. 25, Group 5, is not unlike No. 26 in the form of 

 the head, face and throat, although she appears stronger. 

 The comb is nearer standard, but has six serrations and 

 points. A wrinkle extends across the wattle. The neck is 

 carried with less grace of outline than shown in the ma- 

 jority of this collection. It looks too straight. 



Nos. 24 and 30 are two views of a specimen that coulc? 

 carry herself in a pleasing fashion. In No. 24 she show!» 

 a really charming pose. The points of the comb are rathei 



