JUDGING R. 1. REDS 



61 



color should be cut from one-half to two and one-half as in 

 degree. 



The Female—Neck should be of medium length with the 

 hackle, moderately full. The color is red, both surface and 

 under, with the exception of the tips of the lower hackle; 

 these should be tipped with black. It is generally spoken 

 of as "ticking." Now that does not mean that they should 

 have ticking half way up their neck for it distinctly says: 

 "Lower hackle." Neither does it call for lacing. We men- 

 tion these points because that is what we generally find and 

 many breeders seem to think that ticking ought not be cut 

 even when it runs half way up the neck. A female neck 

 that has no ticking at all should be cut from one-half to one. 

 If it has too much ticking it should be cut from one-Jialf to 

 two as in degree. If it is so heavy as to make lacing or 

 edging running part way around each feather, it should be 

 cut from one to two and one-half. 



Back 



The back is one of the most important and most highly 

 valued of any breed. It is valued at eleven points; six for 

 shape and five for color. 



The Male— Back is described as being "broad, long, hori- 

 zontal" and. has "a slight concave sweep to the tail" while 

 the saddle feathers are of medium length and abundant. 

 Note that it says, "long." Heretofore everything has been 

 described as "medium." If we find a back that is too short 

 the cut should be from one-half to two and one-half as in 

 degree; if it has a cushion causing a Cochin, or Wyandotte 

 effect, cut from one-half to two. If it is too narrow, cut 

 froiti one-half to one and one-half. If saddle feathers are 

 broken or undeveloped causing a pinched or narrow effect, 

 cut from one-half to one and one-half. Crooked backs dis- 

 qualify. The color should be a rich, brilliant red on surface 

 with a red under-color. Color is here valued the same as 

 for neck; five points. Lacing or ticking on the saddle 

 feathers should be cut from one-half to three, as in degree. 

 Smut, slate or white in under-color should be cut from one- 

 half to two and one-half, as in degree. Surface color not 

 matching or harmonizing, being of different shades of red, 

 should be cut from one-half to two. 



The Female — 



Back should be 



, 1 ,■';,: , ., broad, long and 



,-. -- " ^ carried horizontal. 



The cuts for shape 

 as applied to m.ale 

 win apply here. 

 Look out for the 

 short, curved, nar- 

 row ones also the 

 cushions and cut 

 them hard for they 

 are a long way 

 from being the 

 typical Red back. 

 The color cuts as 

 appUed to the 

 male will also ap- 

 ply here. 



Tail 

 The tail is one 

 of the most beaut- 

 iful sections of the 

 R. I. Red and is 

 valued at ten 

 points, five each 

 for shape and 

 color. 



. }Jf ->. 



The above comb should be cut at least two 

 and one-half points. It is lacking two serrations 

 which would call for a cut of 1 : the three ser- 

 rations that it has are short, evidently frozen 

 off which would call for a cut of i; the blade is 

 irregular having a point thereon which would 

 get a cut of at least i ; the blade follows the 

 head too closely and the front of the comb is 

 too high and coarse for the. balance which would 

 get -a cut of i making a total of 2\ points. 



This bird we would cut 1 for symmetry as he 

 is too long in neck and tail a trine too short in 

 back and keel. He has a fine head and comb 

 but would be cut \ neck shape, too long; 

 f or 1 for back shape, too short; 1 for tail shape, 

 too long and pinched \ for breast too flat and 

 undeveloped: i or 1 for body shape, keel too 

 short. The legs are of good lengtn and well 

 spread. The bird evidently is not standing in a 

 natural position. 



The Male — 



Tail should be 

 carried at an an- 

 gle f forty de- 

 grees from the 

 horizontal. It 

 should be of med- 

 ium length and 

 well spread. Tho 

 color should be 

 black; the sickles 

 should be a lus- 

 trous, greenish 

 black. The cov- 

 erts may show a 

 little red as they 

 approach the sad- 

 dle. If the tail 

 is carried too high 

 or perpendicular, 

 cut from one-half 

 to two, as in de- 

 gree. If it comes 

 in front of a per- 

 pendicular, or 

 rather, points 

 more toward the 

 head than to the 

 rear, it becomes 

 what is called a squirrel-tail and disqualifies the speci- 

 men. , If it is contracted or pinched, cut from one-half 

 to two. ' Missing or broken sickles should be cut one point 

 each. Missing or broken main-tail feathers should be cut 

 one-half point each. There should be seven main-tail 

 feathers on each side, so you can easily tell if any are missing. 

 White in surface or under-color should be cut from one-half 

 to three, as in degree. One or more entirely white feathers 

 showing in the outer plumage in any section will disqualify. 

 Purple barring should be cut from one-half to two. If main- 

 tail, or sickles show any red they should be cut from one-half 

 to the color limit if necessary. If the coverts show too 

 much red they should be cut from one-half to two. 



The Female — Tail is carried at an angle of thirty-five 

 degrees from the horizontal. It should be rather short and 

 moderately spread. In color, it should be black except the 

 two top feathers may be edged with red. The cuts for miss- 

 ing main-tail feathers, pinched tails, high tails, etc., are as 

 applied to the male. The same color cuts will also apply, 

 that is, red in any part, except two top feathers will be cut 

 from one-half to the color limit if necessary. 



The Wings 



The wings are valued at nine points, four for shape and 

 five for color. They should be well folded, the fronts covered 

 by the breast feathers; flights carried horizontal. The 

 color of both male and female wing is the same and hard to 

 describe without quoting the Standard, which says in part: 

 "Wing-bows, brilliant red; primaries, upper web red, lower 

 web.black with a narrow edging of red; primary coverts, 

 black; secondaries, lower web, red; the red extending around 

 the ends of the feathers, the remainder of each feather black 

 the five feathers next to the body being red on the surface 

 so that the wing folded in a natural position, shall show one 

 harmonious red color." 



A slipped wing, i. e., one that allows part of the wing to 

 hang down in an unnatural position, generally caused by 

 missing feathers between primaries and secondaries", should 

 be cut one point each. Missing or broken flight feathers 

 should be cut one-half point each. Too much red should 



