168 L. J. COLE AND W. A. LIPPINCOTT. 



An extensive study of a number of similar, though less extreme 

 cases, has just appeared (Boring and Pearl, 1918), and these will 

 be mentioned later in connection with our own case. 



In the foregoing cases the non-functioning of the ovary and 

 the consequent deficiency of ovarian secretion was due to natural 

 causes, probably in most instances to a diseased condition of 

 the ovary. The deficiency of ovarian secretion can also be 

 brought about by artificial removal of the ovary. This is a 

 delicate operation but has been successfully accomplished and 

 the effects on ovariotomized birds have been reported by Guthrie 

 (1910) on a hen, Fitzsimons (1912) on ostriches, and Goodale 

 (1913, 19160, 19166) on chickens and ducks. In all cases more 

 or less complete assumption of characteristic male plumage, and 

 in varying degrees of other masculine characters, appeared after 

 the ovaries were removed, some individuals, as Goodale says, 

 becoming "nearly complete replicas of the male." 



The subject of the present note was a purebred Barred Ply- 

 mouth Rock pullet. She was hatched on the poultry farm of 

 the Kansas State Agricultural College in 1915 and received the 

 number 1050, as a consequence of which she has since been 

 designated in our records as "Kansas 1050." In the early months 

 of her life she was not noticeably different from her sisters and 

 flock mates, and it therefore happens that no photograph was 

 taken of her during that time. In February, 1916, she was put 

 into a breeding pen as a normal pullet, along with others, but 

 some time later it w r as noticed that she was taking on marked 

 male characteristics, particularly with respect to plumage. 

 Fig. i shows her appearance in April, 1916, while Fig. 2 is one 

 of her normal flock sisters at about the same time. For purposes 

 of comparison a photograph (Fig. 3) is also introduced of a 

 normal cockerel, a full brother of the pullet shown in Fig. 2. 

 A comparison of these photographs shows even better than 

 words can describe the character relations of the three individuals. 

 It will be seen that "Kansas 1050" has almost perfect male 

 plumage, except that the sickle feathers of the tail are not so 

 long and the breast and under parts are slightly darker, due to 

 the fact that the white bars on the feathers are somewhat nar- 

 rower in proportion to the black. The characteristic difference 



