THE EFFECTS OF CASTRATION 



143 



the male assumes his full normal plumage with all of 

 his secondary male sexual characters. It is said that 

 the comb and wattles and to some extent the spurs are 

 less developed in the capon than in the normal male. 

 But aside from this it is quite certain that the de- 

 velopment of the secondary sexual plumage in the 





Fig. 73. — Male and female Seabright. Note short neck feathers and 

 incomplete tail cover in male. In the Seabright cock the sickle feathers on 

 back at base of tail are like those of the hen. (After "Reliable Poultry- 

 Journal.") 



male is largely independent of the presence of the sex 

 glands. 



The method of inheritance of the secondary sexual 

 characters in birds has been little studied. Daven- 

 port has reported one case, But I am not sure of his in- 

 terpretation.^ I have begun to study the question by 

 using Seabright bantams, in which the male lacks some 



1 Because it is not evident whether the secondary sexual char- 

 acters as such are involved or only certain general features of 

 coloration. 



