962 PRACTICE OF POULTRY BREEDING 
while the females show wider bars and are darker throughout. The 
best marked birds of this breed are bred by double matings. By con- 
tinuing this process throughout many generations, it is possible to de- 
velop some excellent specimens according to standard requirements; 
yet breeders have thus practically split some breeds into two well- 
defined and separate varieties according tosex color pattern (Fig. 132). 
_ This method is also practised extensively in securing Leghorns 
of the desired comb type, the male requirement being a straight, 
Fig. 133.—A prize-winning pair of Columbian Wyandottes, with coloration similar to 
-the light Brahmas. (Photo by Sunnybrook Farm, Eatontown, N. J.) 
upright comb, and the female a lopped comb, these differences 
being exaggerated by the use of double matings. 
Breeding successfully through double matings necessitates a 
thorough understanding of the breed and the laws of heredity. 
It is an artificial procedure, while single mating is natural. 
Breeding for Color—There are a great many rules and direc- 
tions for the breeding of partly colored birds, especially those 
with fancy plumage pattern; as, for example, the penciled and 
stippled breeds (Fig. 133). But, since a full understanding of 
these is needed only by the true fancier, and can be acquired only 
by years of actual practice, they will not be discussed here. A few 
references will be made, however, to common well-known facts. 
