January 24, 1980

Dear Mr Plant,

I am enclosing a copy of a proposed standard description for the Pekin and Langshan Bantam which I would like you to review and advise me promptly of any changes you might deem appropriate. I would like to have an answer from you forthwith in order that this description could be placed either in our Spring Quarterly  of the 1980 Yearbook.

I have developed this description from the small brochure which you forwarded to me some time ago . It was somewhat hard to determine all of the detail from the photograph appearing at the rear of the pamphlet. I also noticed that in this picture the male seems to carry his head a little further forward than we find in most other breeds and I have described this, as you will notice, by the vertical line drawn upward from the breast.

Can you obtain for me either a black and white print or a photograph in black and white of the illustration appearing in the pamphlet? It is possible for us to reproduce a good book illustration from a good black and white print that-it you could obtain or may have at hand.

One of the problems that we have with the British Standard  is the either/or statements that appear in their standards; for instance five or six points in the comb. This we cannot approve in our standards. Another intolerable statement regarding the female is the reference to allowing for the natural sexual differences. We describe the female completely without reference to the male so that the beginner is informed on what to look for in all parts of the bird. In addition, it prevents endless argument between judges in the show room.

Above I have referred to Pekin and Langshan while in the Standard description I have entitled it Chinese Langshan. Is there a preference in the title for the Standard?

I will start on the Australian Game Fowl Standard in the near future.

Kindest regards,