RELATION OF PLUMAGE TO OVARIAN CONDITION. 177 



"Diagnosis. Vascular malignant tumor, apparently of en- 

 dothelial origin." 



The case of "Kansas 1050" falls naturally into the series 

 described by Boring and Pearl (1918). The assumption of male 

 plumage was obviously due to the degenerate and pathological 

 condition of the ovary, and admits of the same interpretation 

 that they give, namely that the general correspondence of the 

 secondary sex characters to the primary sex organs "might be 

 accounted for in accordance with the theory that the ovary 

 forms an external secretion that inhibits maleness." No indi- 

 cation of a testis nor of testicular tissue was found in "Kansas 

 1050," though the search for it was not perhaps as careful as it 

 might have been. The principal interest of our case seems to 

 lie in the enormous size of the tumor, associated with apparent 

 good health, the immediate effect on the incoming feathers of 

 implanted ovarian tissue and the relations of form, structure and 

 barring of the two sets of feathers. 



SUMMARY. 



1. A purebred Barred Plymouth Rock pullet, designated as 

 "Kansas 1050," which at first appeared normal, later assumed 

 plumage much more resembling that of a normal male, and be- 

 came much like a capon in general appearance. 



2. This change in secondary sexual characters was obviously 

 due to the development of a very large ovarian tumor. 



3. Implantation of ovarian tissue from a normal pullet pro- 

 duced an immediate effect on new plumage assumed. New 

 feathers grown in the few weeks succeeding the operation were 

 definitely hen feathers. 



4. The "male" feathers assumed early in life as a result of 

 the pathological condition of the ovary, though like normal male 

 feathers in shape and structure, resembled hen feathers in respect 

 to barring. This distinguishes clearly the difference between 

 secondary sexual dimorphism, as exhibited in the first instance, 

 and dimorphism caused through sex linkage, as illustrated by the 

 barring. 



