VARIETIES, MATING AND SHOWING 



of the wing. A tendency for the barring to run together 

 in some cases and in other cases to be zigzag in shape, that 

 is, not straight across the wing must be avoided. 



It is desirable to have the barring of one flight feather 

 match or correspond with the barring of the next flight 

 feather so that there will be a continuous or uniform 

 series of bars across the flight feathers as a whole. Some- 

 times the barring does not carry well across the narrow 

 lower edge of the flight feathers and these sections tend to 

 be largely white or brown. This defect is very objection- 

 able. In some cases the tips of the flight feathers are apt 

 to lack the white barring entirely. This is a defect which 

 should be avoided. Sometimes, also, especially in males, 

 one or more solid black flight feathers will occur. Avoid 

 breeding from such birds as this is a disqualification and as 

 they will sometimes produce a nearly black sport. The tail 

 feathers likewise should show a good bronze bar followed 

 by a black band and with a good wide silvery white edg- 

 ing. A good spread of tail is also desired. There is more 

 or less of a tendency for the bronze bar to be wanting, 

 faulty, or scanty as the center of the tail is approached. 

 In other words, the bronze barring may often be better 

 on the outer tail feathers than on the center tail feathers. 



What is desired is bronze barring which runs even and 

 uniform entirely across the tail. Below the bronze bar- 

 ring the tail feathers should be barred across with brown 

 and this brown should be arranged in as regular bars as 

 possible so that the feathers appear to be penciled. Not 

 infrequently the brown occurs as a more or less uniform 



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