PLYMOrTH ROCK STANDARD AND BREED BOOK 57 



cannot fertilize itself, hence the proof of the maxim in its en- 

 tirety cannot be expected. Breeders of poultry go this far, how- 

 ever, when male and female alike in certain particulars are mated 

 together, that it is expected that the progeny will be like the 

 parents in these particulars. For instance, when a male and 

 female both have a comb with five points, a majority of the 

 chicks from the pair would be expected to have five-pointed 

 combs. What deviation did occur would be attributed to the 

 ancestry of one or the other, or both, of the parents. Another 

 example, specimens of the four-toed variety mated together pro- 

 duce four-toed varieties in all cases, while those of the five-toed 

 variety when mated together produce five-toed chicks in nearly 

 all cases. The same applies when two specimens of the opposite 

 sex with reddish-bay eyes are mated together. Deviation would 

 be accounted for by those of the ancestors that did not have 

 red eyes. 



To Offset Defects. As an example of the second principle 

 in general use by poultry breeders everywhere, that of correcting 

 a defect by mating with specimens of the opposite sex that fail 

 in the opposite direction, a male with a four-point comb, one 

 point short of standard requirement, would be mated with a 

 female with six points on her comb, and vice versa. If one of 

 the mated pair had light eyes, it would be mated to a specimen 

 with very dark reddish-bay or even with deep red eyes. A speci- 

 men of a breed which is required to have five toes that has but 

 four would be considered so faulty that it would not be used as 

 a breeder; it is a disqualified bird. (See page 16 for definition.) 

 It is just as serious a matter when the specimen of the four-toed 

 variety has five toes. It is discarded for the same reason. 



In many cases this principle is modified to the extent of 

 mating birds that are faulty in certain respects to the opposite 

 sex that are as near perfection as it is possible to obtain. Faults 

 may not be corrected as speedily in this way as by the other, but 

 the method is more secure in the long run, because it is better 

 that the fowls should inherit one excellent feature than two 

 faults, even though they be of opposite tendencies. 



Pedigrees. Broadly speaking, these rules for mating have 

 been very largely depended upon by breeders of standard-bred 

 poultry, whether for exhibition or commercial purposes. In 

 practice, the pedigrees for many generations are also usually 

 kept to help the breeder in applying these precepts, especially of 



