NOTES. 699 



A report on brcodinp: dairy cattle was submitted by A. J. Glovor. This was in 

 the nature of disconnected notes rather tlian a committee rejxjrt. Among the 

 subjects discussed were the importance of production as compared with confor- 

 mation in judging dairy cattle, the value of short tests, the determination of 

 I»repotency. the relative weight of heart and lungs in dairy and beef cattle, and 

 the effect of food ou the health of cows and the quality of the milk. 



A verbal I'eport on breeding wild birds was submitted by T. L. Palmer. This 

 sul).iect was discussed as regards the importation of wild birds, raising wild 

 i)inls in a state of nature, the breeding of wild birds in quantity under domes- 

 tical ion, and the breeding of birds for a specific purpose, such as the crossing 

 of wild and domestic turkeys in order to secure a race resistant to blackhead. 

 Many inst.-mces of the imi)ortation of wild birds were mentioned, and tlie efforts 

 being m;ide to restore to some extent some of the birds now disai)pearing, such 

 .•IS the eid«'r duck, were described. The speaker called attention to 8t;ite legis- 

 lation restricting the capture and shipment of wild birds as a serious ditficiilty 

 in the way of breeding experiments. 



A report on theoretical research in heredity was submitted by C. W. Ward. 

 This consisted essentially of a review of recent advances in the theory of breed- 

 ing, by C. B. Davenport, and an outline of some of the more important problems 

 in theoretical research relating to heredity, by W. J. Spillman, both members of 

 the connnittee. According to Doctor Daven])ort. the newer investigations are 

 levealing certain laws accessory to or modifying Mendel's law. In the first 

 I)lace, ^lenders law of dominance is not universal as characters occasionally 

 blend. Reversion, moreover, constitutes a special case of inheritance in hybrid- 

 ization and does not stand in opposition to the ordinary laws of inheritance. 

 I'npublished data of the author indicate that account should be taken of the 

 immediate characters of the parents as well as of their ancestry. Pure domi- 

 nants, in the author's experience, can usually be distinguished from heterozygous 

 dominants without resort to breeding tests. Subjects mentioned especially by 

 Professor Spillman as deserving investigation are the relation of the extra 

 chromosome to sex, the relation of chromosome to hereditary characters, and 

 the correlation of characters. 



A report on breeding cereals, by L. S. Kliuck, dealt with the following sub- 

 jects: (1) Search for foundation stocks, (2) method of starting foundation 

 stocks, (3) selection. (4) distribution, (.'5) problems for the different cereals, 

 and (0) crossing and hybri<lization. Under these headings the report sununed 

 up in a general way some of the problems that confront breeders of cereals. 

 It was suggested, for instance, that comparative tests should be made of the 

 centgener method and the row, drill, and Burbank methods in obtaining new 

 foimdation stocks. More investigation was considered necessary to determine 

 whether the individual is the best basis for selection in all the various crops. It 

 was considered desirable that more data should be secured (m the best means of 

 distributing imi)roved seed. Some of the problems to be met by the breeder of 

 wheat, oats, barley, rye, dunnn wheat, ennner, and corn, were enumerated, and 

 it was suggested that each crop be .-issigned to a subconunittee for a fuller report. 



A report on corn breeding, submitted by ,1. i). I'unk. dealt with the value of 

 the score card from the standpoint of the breeder, and the methods of breeding 

 now employed. The mating of individual ijlants was suggested as a valuable 

 supplement to tlie ear-row test. 



The connnittee on breeding cotton, in a report read by title, stated that it 

 was inidertaking to investigate and standardize methods to be used in breeding 

 this crop. It is the plan of the committee to present individual pajiers each year 

 rather than :i connnittee report. The paper presented at this meeting was by 



