304 
The Australasian Book of Poultry. 
Although size in Minorcas is very essential, other chief points should always be considered in judging 
them. Many Judges select as the prize-winners birds of unwieldy frame and as coarse and heavy in appear- 
ance as Langshans, whereas the true and typical Minorca is a bird of extreme activity and smartness in 
general appearance. 
White Minorcas are similar to the Black in all points excepting colour. They, however, are rarely as 
large as the Black variety, though equalling them in economic properties, and it certainly is a matter for 
regret that they receive but little encouragement from Show Societies. There is, of course, a greater 
difficulty in the keeping and exhibiting of any white variety of poultry than a black or coloured one, and this 
in a great measure accounts for their more or less unpopularity. 
General description of the Minorca Cock.— The comb should be deeply and evenly serrated, six spikes 
being the ideal number, but one more or less matters little. The third spike should be rathgr longer than 
the rest, the points of the spikes in front and back being gradually shorter, forming a semicircle. All the 
spikes, with the exception of the largest one, should be about equal in length to the solid part of the comb in 
depth. The comb should be long, and fit close down to the back of the neck without quite touching the 
feathers. It should not project too far in front, being about level with the point of the beak ; it should be 
free from hollowness, thumb-marks or indentations, or a twist in the front. An ideal comb should be free 
from notches or twig serrations either at back or front. It should not have too much blade over the beak 
without serrations. There should be no twin serrations, i.e., a serration with two points or spikes, the centre 
or division of which extends only a short distance. Side sprigs or spikes growing out of the side of the 
comb are. fatal defects, as are also spikes growing in a circle with a hollow centre at the back of the comb. 
The texture of the comb should be fairly rough ; the colour being invariably better, and birds with moder- 
ately rough combs keep sound in face longer than those with smooth faces and combs. A small symmetrical 
comb is, however, far preferable to an extra large one, although, unfortunately, size of comb seems to carry 
weight in some judges' opinion. If the enormous and ridiculous meaty monstrosities, called combs, were 
discountenanced, it would not be necessary to resort to dubbing stock cocks, a custom which at the present 
seems to be gaining ground. The lobes should be large and fit closely, having an inclination to be rather 
hollow in the centre rather than projecting. The lobes should be of a kid-like texture, pure white in colour 
and perfectly free from wrinkles or folds, and as near a perfect almond shape as possible; well developed 
lobes lend an additional attraction to the appearance of a bird, but this is too often accompanied with the 
objectionable white in face. The face should be smooth and free from wrinkles, bright red in colour, and as 
free as possible from hairy or spiky feathers ; and. although bright red is the ideal colour for the face, a dark 
or gipsy cast is far preferable to one of a pale sickly hue, and may be depended upon to keep free from white 
longer. The eyes should be dark in colour, possessing a kindly and intelligent expression. The wattles 
should be very long and pendulous, well open, of equal length and nicely rounded at the extremities. They 
should be of the brightest red in colour and of much the same texture as the comb and face. The neck 
should be of fair length, abundantly furnished with hackle feathers and form a nice arch. The hackle 
feathers should be both long and full, reaching well down and spreading over a pair of square broad shoulders. 
The back should be wide and long, sloping gently downwards, and rather flat. The body should be long, 
deep, and square — a short body in this variety should be avoided, as birds with short bodies invariably carry 
their tails too high, and this fault is extremely difficult to breed out when once it is in a strain. The tail 
should be carried moderately full and at a fair height, the sickle feathers long and nicely curved, though not, 
however, as long or sweeping as the typical Hamburg's tail. The wings should be moderate in length, and 
carried closely to the body, that is, well clipped up under the saddle hackles ; the flight feathers underneath 
should be sound in colour ; the saddle hackles abundant and very glossy. The plumage should be 
exceptionally lustrous throughout, ranging from a beetle- green to a purplish colour. The legs should be of 
good length, with fairly well developed and prominent thighs, not stilty as in the modern Game, but still 
long enough to give the bird a commanding appearance. The legs should be as dark in colour as possible to 
match the plumage. 
