TYPES, BREEDS, AND VARIETIES OF FOWLS 355 



of plumage, skin, and feet are race characteristics. As found to- 

 day in their native countries the fowls of Spain are, on the whole, 

 larger than those of Italy. The most significant general difference 

 between them is the color of skin and legs, the Italian fowls having 

 a yellow skin and leg (the Black Leghorn, yellow and black), while 

 the Spanish have white or gray skin with flesh-colored or slate- 

 colored legs. In Spain there seems to have been, for a long time, 

 a decided preference for black plumage, and that is said to prepon- 

 derate in the native breeds there to-day. In Italy little attention 

 seems to have been given to differentiating color types. Most of 

 the modern varieties of Leghorns have been produced in America 

 and England from Italian foundation stock. 



Leghorns, as Italian fowls are called 1 in this country and among 

 English-speaking peoples generally, are said to have been first 

 introduced into America in 18 3 5 . Those first brought here attracted 

 little attention. In 1853 another importation was made, and de- 

 veloped some interest in the type. Subsequently a few more lots 

 were brought from Italy, but, so far as known, importations were 

 not numerous, nor was the total number of birds imported large. 

 In the early importations were brown, white, buff, and black 

 specimens, and possibly other colors, but only the brown, white, 

 and black varieties were developed from stock brought in at this 

 period. As introduced from Italy the Leghorns had generally, if 

 not exclusively, single combs, and that type of comb has, from the 

 time of their introduction, been far more popular than the rose 

 comb developed (as is generally supposed) by infusions of Ham- 

 burg blood. The ear lobes in the first imported stock were red 

 or partly red. 



In size the ordinary Leghorn is small. No standards of weight 

 have been established. Average specimens weigh, at maturity, 

 males, from 4 to 4! pounds ; females, about 3 pounds. The largest 

 individuals in average flocks exceed these weights, and when bred 

 for size the average is easily increased from I to 2^ pounds. 

 Occasional specimens weigh more, sometimes equaling in size the 

 average of the middle-weight breeds. 



The American Standard type of Leghorn is a finely modeled, 

 graceful, sprightly fowl, with the characteristic large comb, wattles, 



1 Because introduced from the port of Leghorn. 



