PARTRIDGE WYANDOTTES. 



43 



tridge Wyandottes quite a good many females, especially 

 old hens, that show these Cochin characteristics, and some' 

 of them nearly as much as the drawing. This back is 

 shorter than backs Nos. 48 or 49, and no doubt if used in 

 the -breeding pens some good short-backed, short-tailed 

 males would be the result, but it is detective from an ex- 

 hibition standpoint and should be discounted 2 points. 



A Body and Fluff. 



There is considerable stress laid to the color of this 

 section, due to the fact that many specimens otherwise 

 good will fail miserably when they reach the thighs or pos- 

 terior portion of the bird. It is not to be expected that we 

 will ever be able to produce Partridge Wyandottes that 

 are laced entirely around the body, with as good feathers 

 as we find on back and breast, but it is essential that we 

 get the lacing dov/n as far as possible and have all sec- 

 tions harmonize and blend, not alone in surface color, but 

 in lacing as well. 



In Fig. 51 are shown five feathers about as we find 

 them in our best specimens. Feathers Nos. 1 and 2 cover 

 that part of the body directly following the breast and 

 around the thighs. Feather No. 2 is where the penciling 

 begins to fade out as it rounds the sides, but this one is 

 not very well marked. There is too much bla,ck on one 



inner web a dull black, outer web, mahogany-red or red- 

 dish-brown; coverts, similar in color to plumage of breast; 

 under color, dark slate." 



In Fig. 52 are shown three flight feathers. Feather 

 No. 1 conforms closely to the Standard — black on one side 

 of shaft and red on the other. 



Feather No. 2 shows- tracings of red in the black, and 

 should be discounted % point. 



Feather No. 3 shows as much red as black, but it is 

 splotched and runs together, and should be discounted 1% 

 points. 



In Fig. 52a is shown a group of feathers taken from the 

 wing bow, or shoulder. All the feathers here illustrated 

 were plucked from the same specimen. No. 1, however, is 

 a trifle overdrawn, showing more lines of lacing than the 

 feather really possessed. There were three distinct lac- 

 ings, besides the shaft, however, and they were about as 

 evenly laced as it is possible to get them. 



Feather No. 2 is somewhat muddy, the black and red 

 edging together, and many feathers like this in a section 

 gives the surface a rusty appearance, and should be dis- 

 counted % point. 



Feather No. 3 is uneven in lacing and was taken from 

 near the point of wing, and while the surface of it does 

 fairly well, when . you open the feather up for close in- 



Fig. 51. 



side of the shaft and too light on the other side, and should 

 be discounted 1 point. Feather No. 4, while taken from the 

 rear of bird, is too uneven — it is more stippled than pen- 

 ciled, and should be cut 1 point. Feather. No. 5 shows too 

 light, not enough red in the feather, and it should be dis- 

 counted 1 point. 



Wings. 



The Standard description of color in this section is 

 good, and we believe is generally understood by breeders 



spection it all runs together, looking very much like a 

 feather selected from a Brown Leghorn female, and should 

 be discounted 2 points. 



Feathers Nos. 4 and 5 have the same defect, slightly 

 magnified, and should be discounted 2% points. 



Tail. 



It is generally understood by judges and breeders that 

 the tail of the Partridge Wyandotte female should be black 

 — that is, the main tail except the two feathers usually 

 termed the "deck feathers" — but the Standard description 

 does not call for black — that is, absolute. It says: "Black 

 or brownish-black, the two highest main tail feathers pen- 

 ciled with reddish-brown; coverts, well penciled, similar 

 in color to breast and body." And, it should add, similar 

 in lacing. 



Fig. 52. 



and judges alike. The description is: "Primaries, dull 

 black, with an edging of brown on outer web; secondaries, 



Fig. 53. 



In Fig. 53 is shown a group of feathers taken from the 

 tail, all more or less defective. However, feather No. 3 

 would not make a bad ending to the deck feathers — the 

 ones directly in center of tail. Feather No. 1 is too light — 

 shows too much red — and should be discounted 1% points. 

 Feather No. 2 shows black and red throughout the feather. 



