:68 



The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



number, and accordingly based our scales on unity ; but separating the sexes, and carrying out the 

 principle of valuing defects — which we had found, as already observed, absolutely essential to any 

 accurate system — to a very considerable extent, as follows : — 



SCALE OF POINTS FOR THE COCK. 



Taints of Ma it. 



Size ....... 



Colour ....... 



Smallness, Shape, and Expression of Head 

 Comb ....... 



Fulness of Haclile ..... 



Wings, Proper Size and Position of . 

 Legs and Feathering ..... 



Fluff 



Breadth of Saddle 



Rise of ditto ...... 



Tail 



Symmetry ...... 



Condition .^nd Handsome .\ppearanje 



3 

 25 



Special Defects. 



To Count Against the B.rd m Proportion to their Degree. 

 Stain of While in Deaf ear .... I 



White Legs * . . 

 Primaries of Wing not tucked in 

 Vulture-hocks .... 

 White in the Tail 



3 

 3 



3 '"4 

 i 



• A white or pinky -legged bird to be disqualified, unVs« 

 very perfect in other respects. 



SCALE OF POINTS FOR THE HEN. 



Points of Mir it. 



Size ........ 



Beauty and ReguLwity of Colour and Marking 



Smallness and Beauty of Head . 



Comb ....... 



Shortness and Breadth of Back . 



Cushion ....... 



Fluff 



Legs and Feathering ..... 



Shape ....... 



Condition, Carriage, and General .Appearance 



Special Difeets. 



White Legs 2 



Very Long Tail ....... 2 



Primaries not Tucked .in 3 



Very Streaky Feathers, tliough otherwise good 



colour (in Dark) 2 



Shank Feathering not pencilled as body (in Dark) i 



Spotted Back (in Light) 2 



Vulture-hocks 2 to 3 



Raising these scales by multiplication to a total of lOO points, it will be seen that our scale for 

 the hen, modified as regards head and comb by that given for the cock, has been in all its main 

 features almost exactly copied by the convention which drew up the American scale ; and the 

 "points" in this breed having been "passed " after a more thorough debate and searching criticism 

 than was bestowed upon any other is a gratifying testimony to the general accuracy of the 

 conclusions we had drawn from laborious analysis of English judging, which we may perhaps be 

 excused for not passing unnoticed. The slight differences observable, such as absence of any points 

 for cushion, are owing to the preference of American fanciers for large and long rather than compact 

 frames ; and with keener competition the very sense of beauty alone will, we believe, bring about a 

 closer approximation to English ideas on this subject. 



We still think that as regards head and comb, at least, the sexes require special provision in 

 the case of Brahmas, on account chiefly of the highly typical comb being so much more conspicuous 

 in the cock, whilst the head itself, on the contrary, is of more importance in the hen. The great 

 importance of pencilling on tl;e breasts of the pullets or hens must also be kept in view. By valuing 



