tion, under Mr. Quisenberry. Unfortunately, most of the birds 

 were smothered en route. The Texas Station and one of the 

 sub-stations have put in the English Penciled, (Cumberland) 

 white-egg Runners, and the main station is also trying out the 

 whites. 



As an interesting commentary on Runner color, a disgusted 

 word from one who has bred Indian Runners for years fits in as 

 nothing else could. He was engaged in the practical job of catch- 

 ing birds to fill a shipment and for his own breeding pens. Color 

 study was, of course, a main feature in O. K.-ing, or discarding 

 specimens, and, as is always the case, many birds that looked well 

 on their feet had to be rated as seconds on account of fawn in 

 the flight feathers. I happened to be looking on, and heard hi'? 

 dictum: "Color in Indian Runners is nothing but a humbug 

 anyway, for they change color every two months. How are you 

 going to describe the color fairly when that is the case? It is 

 out of the question ! And who is going to say which is the right 

 color, that of December, or of March or of June?" It struck me 

 that this was as pungent a comment on the folly of ruining the 

 distinctiveness of the Indian Runner for color's sake (because 

 some one happened to think fawn in solid color was more desir- 

 able than any two shades of fawn penciled together might be) as 

 could possibly be made. The question must always be. Which of 

 the varying shades of fawn is Standard fawn, and when shall the 

 I)ird be judged on color, — in winter or in summer? If in sum- 

 mer, or spring, it must be far too dark in December ; if in Decem- 

 ber it is to be just right, it will be nothing but dirty white in June. 

 And this every breeder knows. 



I saw two breeders selecting a bird to fill an order that 

 •called for a high class specimen. The choice lay between two 

 birds, one of which was nearly perfect in color, but was only 

 moderately long in body and neck. The other was of beautiful 

 shape and carriage, but had a flaw in the wing flight. "Which 



