Barred Plymouth Rocks — Standard Requirements. 19 



the skin, the distinctness, evenness and regularity of the bars, the 

 absence of smoky, cloudy or muddy appearance to the light bars and 

 intense black on the dark bars. In mass, the light bars appear clear 

 bluish gray, and the dark bars very dark blue ; the combination of 

 both should give the whole plumage a bluish tinge. 



Feather No. 2. 



No. 2 shows alternate bars of black and white part way. In this 

 the first and second bar would remind one of the color and poor lac- 

 ing on a Silver Spangled Hamburg. It is not ; it is the same feather 

 presented with objectionable black and white bars to show the novice 

 to avoid such colors or tendency to such colors in breeding, for the 

 dark bars are too black and the light bars are too light, and the com- 

 bination of such colors could never give us that pleasing and much 

 admired bluish tinge to the plumage that is the universally accepted 

 ideal of shade and color among American Plymouth Rock breeders. 



STANDARD REQUIREMENTS. 



Through all the phases of standard making, the standard for 

 Plymouth Rocks in place of being a guide and helper to the breed 

 and breeder, has placed serious obstacles in the way of bringing 

 them to a high state of cultivation for either the show pen or general 

 fancy purposes. The truth of this statement is well known to all the 

 earlier breeders, and, notwithstanding the protests and just criticisms 

 of those most deeply interested in the improvement of the breed, 



