LEOHOMNS. 129 



Ing them severai years, and when the fresh blood of various importations forbade 

 the idea of deterioration through too close in-breeding, this pioneer breeder ex- 

 presses the opinion that pullets frequently laid themselves to death. 



"For some time after this, however, there was little known of the fowls, and 

 when, in 1852, they made their entry into Mystic River, Conn., not one poultry 

 breeder in a hundred knew what they were, or what were their peculiar merits. 

 They speedily learned the latter, however. The following year a second lot of 

 birds arrived at Mystic aud were distributed among the friends of Captain Gates 

 and the first officer of the vessel, Mr. Morgan, who still lives in the town of 

 Qroton and corroborates the details of the importation. From this time the dis- 

 semmation of the breed was very rapid, and its popularity advanced speedily 

 all through New England, where it was known as the Red Leghorn. 



" Beside the importations we have spoken of, there were, undoubtedly, others 

 which helped fill the demand for the breed, but no record of them was ever pub- 

 lished." 



The Brown Leghorns are of medium size, very active, great Zayers, and non- 

 sitters; they have medium to large single combs, which in the hen droops to one 

 side. The ear-lobes are white or creamy white, and fit close to the head; the 

 wattles bright red, long and pendant. The necks are long and graceful ; yel- 

 lowish brown, striped with black in color, the colors being brighter in the cock; 

 the backs are dark-red in the cock, dark-brown in the hen, pencilled with lighter 

 colors in both; the breasts are black in the cocks and salmon-brown, shading off 

 light nnder the body in the hens ; the wings are large, shading from dark-red to 

 black in the cocks, and being dull-black, penciled with brown, in the hens. The 

 shanks are long and yellow ; the feet small and yellow, with a delicate dark 

 stripe down each toe. (See illustration, page 131.) 



Slack Leghorns.— Oi the origin of this breed the editor of the Pouliry World says : 

 " The first importation of this breed from Italy, regularly bred from, of which we 

 have any authentic account, was maSe in 1871, by Mr. Reed Watson, although stray 

 specimens of black, or very dark fowls, were no doubt brought over at various 

 earlier times. &«»Mier«' Z>omes«M! Pmrffon/, published in 1866, says : 'There have 

 been several importations of the common fowls of Leghorn and vicinity made of 

 late. These birds are of all colors except black.' By which we infer that the 

 breed under consideration was atthattime unknown to Uie author cited. Wright 

 makes no mention of any Leghorns of this character. There are traditions, 

 however, of several dark or black hens having been found among the Brown 

 Leghorns brought to this country at various times since 1853. The first published 

 account of Black Leghorns appeared as an editorial in this magazine in October 

 1872. Since then they have become widely known. We quote: 'Mr. Reed 

 Watson, of East Windsor Hill, Connecticut, has some Black Leghorn fowls, di- 

 rect from the vessel in which they were imported from Italy. Mr. Watson's 

 birds show the unmistakable Leghorn form, even to the details of comb and 

 wattles, and are as thoroughly non-sitters as any of our acclimated strains. They 

 are very vigorous and active. The original fowls, three in number, imported a 

 year ago, are now surrounded by a well-grown and numerous family. The old 

 hens have proved themselves remarkably prolific layers, and the pullets of !ast 

 April are following the example. A brood of a dozen chicks can be seen, 

 5 



