70 AMERICAN SQUAB CULTURE 



it requires four times as much nourishment to grow feathers 

 than meat, and long feathered, long bodied squabs are rarely 

 plump-breasted. 



The head of the White King male should be rather large and 

 broad, with a round, full skull and prominent forehead. No 

 characteristic, except the unsightly long body recently referred 

 to, so greatly detracts from the knightly appearance of the 

 White King male as a small insignificant head. The eyes are 

 large, prominent, and of reddish-brown or dark hazel color. 

 The cere is of medium size, perfectly round, fine in texture, the 

 same color as the beak, with a light frosting of white on the 

 upper surface. 



As the eye of the White King appears almost black in color 

 from a short distance, the narrow band of rod that encircles 

 the eye (forming the beet-red cere) adds just the touch of color 

 needed to beautify and brighten the white plumage of the i\ead. 

 Birds with white or pale colored ceres look commonplace in 

 comparison. 



Until the adoption of the standard of the American White 

 King Association, it sometimes happened that White Kings with 

 a few feathers on their feet were awarded prizes at the exhibi- 

 tions. Permitting birds with this serious defect, even though 

 Ihcy were of excellent type in other sections, to win any prize 

 at an exhibition, was a blunder the evil effects of which are 

 revealed at most inopportune times. The only way to produce 

 clean-legged, exhibition White Kings is to breed from a cock 

 and hen of line-bred, clean legged ancestry. Obtain your flock 

 of show birds from a few pairs of pedigreed stock that produce 

 red-cered, clean- legged youngsters of blocky type, rather than 

 from a large flock of breeders of various types and character- 

 istics. The birds with feathers on their feet are usually sold 

 "utility stock," and for this purpose are equally satisfactory and 

 less expensive than exhibition stock. A "knock-kneed" White 

 King is only fit to eat. Stout legs and long, straight toes increase 

 the stability and add to the appearance of any bird. 



The plumage is very close, short, smooth and firm. Looseness 

 of feathers is a serious defect. The web, quill and fluff of the 

 feathers in all sections is pure white. 



The wings are comparatively short, well folded, ending con- 

 siderably in front of and resting on the tail. The front of the 



