140 TME COJIPLETE POULTRY BOOK. 



for the show-pen, and one in which the cock is lighter colored than the henSr-it 

 very light cock with very dark hens, and a cock of medium shade with hens less 

 dark, for breeding purposes. This is a troublesome practice, and we have no 

 doubt that before many years fowls of extreme coloring will be discarded as 

 breeders, and thus a more uniform strain produced, in which there shall be 

 little or no difference in the shading of the two sexes. 



The cocks frequently show a tendency to a brassy coloring on the back and 

 wings, which the Standard discourages, and which fanciers are endeavoring to 

 breed out. In both sexes there is a considerable tendency to blue legs,.,which 

 breeders are endeavoring to get rid of ; bright yellow legs and beak being re- 

 quired in Stamda/rd fowls. ' In general shape the Dorking type is advocated by 

 our best breeders, while in size the Plymouth !Rocks rank between medium and 

 large, the stsndHrd weight for the cocks being ten and a half, and for the hens 

 eight and a half pounds. . • 



The chicks feather early, those of a few weeks old being completely, covered. 

 They are also hardy and easily reared. 



The great popularity of these fowls, and the consequent demand for them, 

 has prevented that care in selection which is essential to the highest success, 

 and therefore many very inferior fowls have been used as breedersj with the' 

 effect of Very much retarding the development of the strain. It is to be hoped 

 that as they become more abundant and less high-priced the attention of fan- 

 ciers will be more strongly drawn towards the developing of the very good qual- 

 •ities which the breed possesses. Otherwise we shall soon begiu.to hear of its-: 

 decadence. 



One of the signs of danger in this direction is the fact that there are frequent 

 complaints of infertUity in Plymouth Eock eggs ; a trouble which should be 

 guarded against by avoidance of in-breeding, by allowing but few 'hens to the^i 

 cock, and by breeding only from the thriftiest cocks. (See frontispiece.) 



AMEEICAN DOMINIQUES. 



This breed has the peculiarly marked plumage of the Plymouth Eocks, and is 

 supposed to be one of the parent stocks of that breed. The Dominques, how- 



ZL TT 1 ""'"^"^ ^''P' °* ^°"^' ''''^"g ^°«« <=<'"'1'« and I'-'go ^^ 

 fC ^.1 -l ?T-P^™^S'' moreover, has more of a bluish tinge, so that 

 ftey are described by English journals as resembling the Cuckoo Dorkings. 

 LHhr,7T'i. *^' ^^7^oy,i^ Eocks, should have smooth, yellow legs. 

 arP.„™ i.*? r^''*™"™*'"" *'^^ ^ad-lle feathers of the cock.' They 

 d^ht Ton^ '°!f^" *^''° *" Plymouth Eocks, cocks weighing from seven to 

 Sm nurts." *'"'" ^^' *° '^ ^«y ^^^ g-o-l 1^^^™ ^°d sitters, and 



halk coC/'' "^ "*''"^* ^^'' *" ^""^"^ " ^'"'Ply «" Smprovement of the oldl 

 fa«r£S' A '"''•"' ^"""^ °^ ^^^ barn-yard, the rose-comb probably ha^J 

 >ng 6een added by a cross with the Hamburgs. 



