THE ASIATICS. 



25 



be cut one point for shape, for the latter has the appearance 

 of robbing the breast of its fulness. 



It is not by any means understood that every feather 

 of the hackle shall be perfect In order to pass uncut, but 

 that the perfect feathers should be in overwhelming num- 

 bers, of the character as seen in our models. But when the 

 neck plumage is in a general way made up of feathers like 

 No. 1, the neck would most likely be cut one point for color; 

 if like No. 2, one and one-half points; like No. 3, one 

 and one-half to two points if void of sheen. Feathers 

 still worse should condemn the specimens as breeders, and 

 surely they could not be show specimens. They should be 

 sent to the kitchen pen. When the head is carried so far 

 forward as to destroy the full arch of the neck and the 

 hackle fails to fully cover the cape; or when the white lacing 

 fails to extend along the entire edge of the web; or the black 

 and white are mixed, or there is straw color in the white or 

 black spots in the Lhroat, cut one-half to one point. A more 

 severe cut should be made if the black stripe is very poorly 

 denned. 



THE BACK. 



The back should be medium in length, but sufficiently 

 long so that in conjunction with a full, round breast it 

 will give an oblong appearance to the body. The back will 

 appear much shorter in the male, because more of the cape 

 is covered by the hackle and also on account of the saddle 

 feathers. The standard describes the back as broad and flat, 

 which appearance is caused in part by the hackle feathers 

 spreading over the cape and the feathers on the upper part 

 of the wings. From the cape to a point just in front of the 

 hips, there is a slight downward slope, but the saddle rises 

 in a concave sweep to the tail. The saddle should be wide 

 enough to balance the breadth of the shoulders, the saddle 

 hangers trailing down over the points of the wing bays. The 

 surface of the back proper should be pure white, except 

 where the last row of saddle feathers take on the character 

 of the tail coverts, being black edged with White, which is 

 not to be considered a defect. The under-color of the back 

 may be bluish grey, white or Slate color in the male. Ii 

 there should be slight traces of black in the saddle plumage 

 near the tail, it must not be considered a disqualification un- 

 der the disqualifying clause of "black prevalent in the web 

 feathers of the back," etc. 



In the female the back has a longer appearance, due to 

 the lack of saddle hackle. The rear portion of the back 

 is more properly termed "cushion" in the female. The back 

 should have a Slight downward slope from the cape to a 

 point in front of the hips and then show a slightly curved 

 line from the hips to the tail. The surface color should 

 be white and the under-color may be white or bluish grey. 

 If the last row of cushion feathers resemble the tail coverts, 

 it should not be considered a defect. 



Cut one-half to one point, according to the degree of im- 

 perfection, if the plumage is straw colored in place of white 

 or if the dark under-color shows on the surface. Cut two 

 points for pronounced yellow shade of feathers. 



Occasionally in any flock there appears an aggra- 

 vated case of roached back, being oval from cape to tail, 

 and as is general in such cases, wings are carried low and 

 the back appears narrow and oval from side to side. The 

 hip may be slipped also. As he stands, the bird is disqualified, 

 but were hip in position, even with all his roached condi- 

 tion, the specimen would be cut from one-half to two points. 

 A specimen with a slipped hip and a crooked back may be 

 an excellent stock bird, yet he is disqualified, while the 

 roached back bird surely is worthless as a breeder when in 

 this aggravated form, yet we cannot disqualify him in 

 judging. 



A croojced shell bone causes what is termed a wry tail. 

 Sometimes a few black ticks appear in the saddle of the 

 male. He may have fifteen to twenty near the tall. This is 

 exempt from disqualification, but becomes a defect, subject 

 to a cut of one-half to one point; the condition we mention 

 is cut one point. The under-color may be so dark as to ap- 

 proach black in the fluffy portion and should be cut one 

 point in the male; if dark slate in female, the same cut. 

 When black ticks appear in the wab of the feather in the 

 female, but are not prevalent on the surface, they are a 

 defect, to be cut one point. If so pronounced that one was 

 forced to cut two points, the specimen should be disqualified 

 promptly. 



Should the black ticks, described for the male as a 

 defect, become prevalent, reaching down to middle of saddle 

 and appearing in the saddle hangers and under the wings at 

 the sides, he, too, is a disqualified specimen; yet he may be 

 a valuable breeder with hens that have lost color by age 

 and service in the show pen. This defect often corrects 

 itself as such cockerels molt into their cock form; they grow 

 lighter with age. 



Defective Hawkle Feathers of the Female. 



Feather No. 7 is a black ticked one; these feathers, ac- 

 cording to their prevalence, are cut one-half to one point. 

 This is as far as the license for their appearance should go, 

 for a pure white surface color is desirable and it is a fact 

 that where the under fluff is a bluish gray the surface color 

 is far more liable to be a pearl white so much coveted in 

 show birds. 



THE BREAST. 



The breast should be full, broad and round and the 

 quarters prominent. This will give a full, oval outline from 

 shoulder to keel, and from shoulder point to shoulder point 

 that is so much desired. This section is seldom faulty in 

 color, both surface and under-color being white, though the 

 latter may be bluish gray at its juncture with the body. The 

 reason we find this section so perfect in color is because it 

 is protected, so to speak, and never receives the direct rays 

 of the sun, nor the full force of storms. This description 

 applies to both male and female. 



Sometimes the ticking on throat extends downward, or 

 a slight straw tinge invades the upper part so as to secure 

 a cut of one-half to one point; so rare is this that judges 

 pay little attention and generally make Hhe breast cuts un- 

 der the head of shape; and it is as well. Shape becomes the 

 defect in ninety-nine cases in one hundred. 



Tn viewing the specimen from the front you see the 



