PLYMOUTH ROCK STANDARD AND BREED BOOK 183 



they appear "crocky," males that are even in all sections, clear 

 in the light bar and free from rusty or brownish dark bars, are 

 necessary for good results. If the breeder can go one step fur- 

 ther and insist upon sharply defined as well as clear bars when 

 selecting the male, he will be sti'l more fortunate. When mating 

 females of the above description, the back and shoulders of the 

 male are the sections to examine especially closely. 



Selecting the Females. The first thing to consider in select- 

 ing the females to produce exhibition males is their ancestry. 

 They should be daughters of high class exhibition males and, if 

 possible, the sisters of high class exhibition males. Two facts 

 besides their individuality, which are highly indicative of their 

 duality as producers of desirable males are: First, the length of 

 the line from which they come or the number of generations of 

 Hgh class, exhibition males which precede them in their ancestry 

 and, second, the quality of these male ancestors. The value as 

 a producer of any cockerel-bred female will depend upon the 

 number of generations and the quality of high class male ances- 

 tors. The value of a female will be indicated most clearly by 

 her individuality ; that is, to a breeder with experience in pro- 

 ducing high class males, and by the quality of her own brothers. 

 The merits and defects of these own brothers, particularly 

 those of her own age, furnish strong clues as to how to mate 

 a cockerel-bred female. Furthermore, as it is a recognized fact 

 that, though several cockerel-bred females may be full sisters, 

 they are not identical, the question comes up as to which to 

 select. Referring to the above description, it is not essential that 

 cockerel-bred females should have clear, yellow shanks and toes, 

 as the shanks and toes of the males are usually yellow even when 

 those of their dams and sisters show considerable dark color. 

 The same is true as to color of beaks of cockerel-bred males and 

 females. 



The Wing Section. The flights of the cockerel-bred females 

 need not be as clearly marked as those of an exhibition female, 

 because from females with flights that show but suggestions of 

 markings, that is, that are but indistinctly marked, come males 

 with splendidly marked flights. 



The secondaries of cockerel-bred males should not -only be 

 distinctly barred, but the bars in each feather should be so placed 

 that when the wing is folded, they will form distinct lines across 

 the wing-bay. This is a very pretty feature of a Barred Plym- 



