18 THE HOME POULTRY BOOK 
Of the Mediterranean class, the Leghorns easily 
take the lead in popularity. Probably there are 
more heavy egg-laying strains of White Leghorns 
than of any other breed. There are rose-comb 
as well as single-comb white and brown Leghorns, 
the rose-comb varieties often being recommended 
for very cold climates, as the rose combs are not 
frosted as easily as the longer single combs. The 
single-comb white Leghorn is generally admitted to 
be without a peer as an egg producer and the eggs 
are valued so highly that the best trade in New York 
often specifies them. 
Like all members of this class, the Leghorns are 
non-sitters. They have yellow flesh and legs but are 
too small to be considered as table fowls, and so are 
not so popular in the country and in the yards of 
many amateurs as all-round fowls like the Rocks 
and Reds. The meat, however, what there is of it, 
is especially fine-grained and sweet and the chickens 
make fair broilers. Mature Leghorns are hard to 
fatten, though, and must be set down as belonging 
to a strictly egg-laying variety. 
The two varieties of Minorcas, white and black, 
are somewhat larger than Leghorns. They, too, 
are prolific layers of large, white eggs, but they have 
