LAWS GOVERNING THE BREEDING 
gated in certain sections as in Light Brahma 
markings, nature’s control of the pigment appears 
to be under a different law wherein under-color 
plays the most important part in the proper segrega- 
tion of black according to sections. Standard reads, 
“‘under-color white, bluish white or dark slate;’’ 
yet nature’s laws show that a clear white under- 
color means generally imperfect primaries and 
hackle, either too light or too black. This last is 
possible as Standard requires primaries with white 
at edge, whereas many primaries can be found 
entirely black. This while not a serious defect, 
is a defect nevertheless and mostly found on in- 
ferior birds. Another defect found in birds of 
white under-color is a strong brassiness on male 
and creaminess of under-color in female. On the 
other hand, where the under-color is slate unre- 
lieved by white, nature plainly voices its protest 
against too much coloring matter in under color by 
decidedly smutty hackles and, in males, intense 
heavy striping in saddles and backs, a breaking 
out of black surface pencilings on breast, body and 
fluff, peppered wing bars, many times attended by 
brassiness; in females black in backs, smutty, 
stubby hackles and pencilings on body and fluff. 
But almost invariably with the under-color bluish 
white, or with fluff next to skin white and that 
next to web blue or slate, the black points are 
standard and the white points free from penciling 
of black and brassiness or creaminess in under- 
color. Brassiness or creaminess in fowls of above 
markings appears to be created by unpropor- 
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