324 H. D. GOODALE 



Obviously, until more studies have been made of the behavior 

 of fowls, the brooding instinct of the capon cannot be cited as 

 proof of the assumption of a female secondary sexual character 

 by a castrated male. 



Note. — In a recent paper in this journal Pearl makes the 

 following statement: ' It appears to be the case that in the 

 domestic fowl the brooding instinct has to a large degree dis- 

 appeared along with the fact of domestication." He points 

 out that at the Maine Station they have found great difficulty 

 in finding hens that would incubate eggs through the full period 

 of twenty-one days. My own experience with several varieties 

 of poultry, extending over several years, does not coincide at 

 all with Pearl's. Instances in which the birds fail to complete 

 the full period have not been frequent. At various times, by 

 providing a fresh lot of eggs, hens have been made to incubate 

 eggs for six weeks or longer. In the Little Compton district, a 

 noted poultry center, hens are depended upon almost entirely 

 for hatching and rearing chicks. The natural method is also 

 used extensively by farmers and poultrymen in general. The 

 interesting results reported by Pearl would seem to apply only 

 to some flocks of birds belonging to the so-called broody races 

 (Rocks, Wyandottes, Orpingtons, etc.), but can hardly be 

 considered of general applicability to such races. Quite the 

 reverse, however, would be true of the Leghorns and similar 

 non-broody races where, as stated above, only a small per cent 

 show any traces of the broody instinct. 



