CHAPTER XXX 



THE MEDITERRANEAN CLASS 



In the Mediterranean classes we find all the Leghorns; the Min- 

 orcas; Spanish; Blue Andalusians and Anconas, and each variety has 

 its admirers and fanciers. 



White Leghorn Most Popular. — But on the California egg farm 

 where poultry is kept as a means of earning a livelihood the White 

 Leghorn is pre-eminently the favorite. The points chiefly in its 

 favor are that it lays the white egg of commerce, matures at a fairly 

 early age, can be bought cheaper than most other varieties, is hardy 

 and when given range is a good forager, because it makes no distinc- 

 tion between its owner's garden and his neighbor's. The same might 

 be said of all Leghorns but the popular opinion is in favor of the 

 white. As a table bird it sells when the dealers can get nothing else, 

 but they do not crave for that variety, perhaps because of the numbers 

 that are put on the market. But there is no gainsaying the fact that 

 a flock of good-sized, well-bred White Leghorns foraging on a Cali- 

 fornia alfalfa field does present a picture to be admired. 



The American Poultry Association has made a weight standard 

 for Leghorns, and that will stop the breeding of the very small kind, 

 at least among breeders who aim to exhibit. 



The single comb White Leghorn is the variety bred on this coast, 

 rose combs being very scarce and kept just as fancy. 



Color of Male and Female. — Web, fluff and quills of feathers in all 

 sections, pure white; beak, yellow; eyes, reddish bay; comb, face and 

 wattles, bright red; earlobes, white; shanks and toes, rich yellow. 



For commercial purposes the White Minorca has been crossed on 

 the Leghorn, and this makes for a larger body, and also a larger egg, 

 but in that case you have white legs very often a mongrel bird at best, 

 and a possible loss of hardihood. 



Single Comb Brown Leghorn. — The Brown Leghorn male is, when 

 well bred, one of the most beautiful birds. He has a proud carriage 

 all his own, as if he were handsome and knew it. A fancier will al- 

 ways prefer the Brown Leghorn to any other variety of Leghorn 

 simply because of the color and symmetry of them. But, along with 

 this they are excellent layers, and they have the advantage of stand- 

 ing the heat just a little better than most fowls. Perhaps one reason 

 why they are not more popular is that real good exhibition specimens 

 are hard to breed, as double mating must be resorted to to get good 



