The Future of the Indian Runners in 

 America 



CHAPTER XV 



At the present writing, many of the fanciers of the country 

 still favor the plain, fawn type. I have no doubt that most of 

 them have taught themselves to admire the plain feathers most, 

 in the Indian Runner, even if they did not do so at first. Yet, 

 the very same breeders would go into raptures over a Cornish 

 hen if she showed extra good penciling! Many of these breed- 

 ers are so inconsistent as to argue for the greater beauty of the 

 plain Runner, when it is a well-known fact that pencilings, lac- 

 ings, and the like have given all the more distinctive beauty to our 

 wonderfully varied breeds of the ornamental types among our 

 domestic fowls. Those distinctively known as "ornamential" 

 (therefore especially beautiful, of course) are the ones that show 

 most variation in colors and markings. The plain are simply — 

 well, plain, and that is all there is to it. 



It behooves every one who wants Indian Runners, no matter 

 of which type, to inform himself thoroughly as to the differences 

 in the two types, and to be very sure that he buys of a breeder 

 who has what he wants. The two types have been bred together, 

 which of course makes more confusion. The oldest of the breed- 

 ers here of the English type sold birds, years ago, to the chief 

 promoters of the American Standard type of to-day. Very many 

 breeders have tried both types. A dozen or more of them have 

 written of their experiences in the poultry papers. Of them all, 

 I think only one or two have reported that the American type 

 were the better layers. Most of the others stated that, when han- 



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