208 THE PRACTICAL POULTRY KEEPER. 



Brown Leghorns may be described as generally of the 

 colour of black-breasted red Game. They were at first the 

 hardiest variety and best layers of all, but having been crossed 

 to improve size and colour, and then in-bred to remove 

 effects of the cross, many strains have suffered heavily. 

 They have since recovered in great degree, but few 

 exhibition strains equal the White as layers. As a rule 

 they are shorter on leg, and squarer in body, than other 

 varieties. The cock differs from the Game colour in that 

 the hackle is a little striped. Typical birds of both sexes 

 can be bred from one pen ; but for show cockerels, bright 

 cocks are mated with hens rich in hackle-colour, even if a 

 little ruddy on wing ; pullets from darker cocks with more 

 solid striping, and hens or pullets free from ruddy feathers, 

 even if rather ashen in colour. In America the cocks are 

 allowed more stripe in the hackle than in England, which 

 makes breeding somewhat easier. 



Pile Leghorns have been bred, as in Game fowls, by 

 crossing the White and Brown varieties ; in at least one 

 strain an outside Pile cross was also employed. They lay 

 well and are hardy, but are not easy to get true to colour. 



Duckwing Leghorns were formed by crossing with 

 Game and Silver-grey Dorking. There are Golden and 

 Silver Duckwings ; the Silver breeding pure, as in Game 

 and Dorkings, while the Golden Duckwings require oc- 

 casional crossing as in the similar Game varieties. They 

 are good layers, but must be considered as chiefly 

 exhibition birds. 



Black and Cuckoo Leghorns need only be mentioned. 

 The Blacks are too near Minorcas and too difficult to breed 

 with yellow legs to be general, but are usually very good 

 layers. They are said to be wild. 



Buff Leghorns have become very numerous and 

 popular. They appear to have been bred from Italian 



