There are also three principal varieties of Wyandottes. The Silver-laced Wyandotte has a silvery-white plumage, with black markings in various parts of the body. The Golden Wyandotte is similar in its markings, but has yellow where the Silver-laced has white. The White Wyandotte is pure white. All have rose combs, red ear lobes, and yellow legs. They are on the average about a pound lighter than the Plymouth Rocks.
The Rhode Island Reds are a much more recent breed that has of late become very popular. They are of a reddish-brown color, about the weight of the Wyandotte, with yellow legs. There are both single combed and rose combed varieties.
The Asiatic Class includes those breeds raised chiefly for the table. The Brahmas, Cochins, and Langshans are the chief breeds. They are considerably heavier than other breeds, and are specially characterized by the feathers on the legs and feet. They all lay brown eggs, and are in many cases good layers.
The Brahmas include two principal varieties, the light and the dark. The general color is black and white, and they have yellow legs, red wattles, ear lobes, and comb, the latter being of the kind called a pea-comb, which is of small size in the cock.
There are four varieties of Cochins, the Buff being much more raised than the Partridge, the White, or the Black. The Partridge somewhat resembles a dark Brahma, but has red and brown plumage. Cochins have single combs, yellow legs, and a general fluffy character to the plumage, that of saddle and hackle meeting, thus giving a characteristic appearance to these fowls. The eggs are not quite so large as the other two breeds of this class.
The Langshans are smaller and more active than the two breeds just described. They have black legs, the feet are not so heavily feathered, and in general these fowls are much less awkward in appearance. There are two varieties, the White and the Black.
The Mediterranean Class includes those breeds raised chiefly because of their great egg-production. They are active birds, often troublesome because of their ability to fly over high enclosures, so that when kept in the city it is usually necessary to clip one wing. They are not so good winter layers as a rule, but are non-setters. They all lay white eggs. The chief breeds included are the Leghorns, the Minorcas, and the Black Spanish.
The Leghorns—the most popular of these breeds—include two chief varieties, the Brown and the White. The comb is most commonly single, falling to one side in the hen, the wattles long and pendulous, the ear lobes white, and the legs yellow.
The Minorcas are glossy black in color, with a large drooping comb in the hen, and long, thin, pendulous wattle. They lay a very large egg.
The Black Spanish resemble the Minorcas, but are distinguished by the white face and cheeks and the white on the inner edge of the wattles.