r. variety was standardized while the real Runner was thrust from 

 the Standard and deprived of all its rights as a standard-bred 

 fowl and show bird; deprived of its name, even, — which explains 

 why it is called the English Runner, the penciled, etc. Naturally 

 the wrong aroused its breeders who had the courage to make the 

 situation public, and the controversy was on in earnest. The 

 breeders of the Standard birds have publicly admitted that a cross 

 was made; but recently they are stating that the American made 

 Runners were produced from unpenciled sports thrown by genuine 

 Runners. This statement carries not the least weight with ex- 

 perienced breeders of true Runners for they know too well that 

 the light fawn head and rump markings of the drakes can be 

 obtained only by the addition of alien blood, the penciling of most 

 of the females being inconspicuous when the feathers are old, and 

 almost absent in some specimens, even when they are young or 

 molt is new. 



The quarrel about the wrong done by the Standard is not 

 simply a disagreement about color of feathers. Principle is at 

 stake ; we are struggling to uphold the truth and our rights, as our 

 forefathers would have done. When the light fawn bird was 

 standardized, a monopoly was created for its breeders and some of 

 them have made fortunes, according to their own stories, seUing 

 hatching eggs and stock. True Runners had won fame for them- 

 selves in other countries and in the Australian egg contests, and 

 this reputation was the stock in trade of the Standard breeders; 

 for the great laying records were made by the English penciled 

 Runners. My co-workers and I could have quickly stocked our 

 yards with the substitute duck, and also more cheaply, for the true 

 Runners have always been scarce and high-priced ; we were con- 

 tending for a principle and we have never been guilty of placing 

 the imitation or "changeling" Runner before the public. It was 

 a matter of conscience with us, money gotten so had no tempta- 

 tion for us, or we could have gained a goodly share of those thous- 



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