ANIMAL PRODUCTION, 171 



324-331, figfi. .'/). — A bison bull was mated witb pure-bred cows of the Polletl 

 Angus, Hereford, West Highland, Sussex, and Devon breeds, with Polled Angus 

 and Galloway grades, and with scrubs. 



The tentative list of dominant characters which appeared in the hybrids is as 

 follows: The white face of the Hereford, polled head of the Angus, voice of the 

 bison, white hind and forequarters of the beef breeds, and the gradual shedding 

 of the coat of domesticated cattle. The body color of the bison was usually 

 dominant. The hump of the bison was inherited, but in a moditied form. The 

 length and (piality of fur were intermediate. The period of gestation varied 

 from 244 to 277 days, with an average of 264. There were 59 successful births 

 and 63 abortions. The hybrids are larger, yield larger carcasses of beef, and 

 have a pelt which appears to be of more value than that of the pure bison. 



Data on variation in the comb of the domestic fowl, R. and Maud D. Peael 

 {Biometrika, 6 {I90D), No. '/, pp. 420-.'i32, figs. 97). — In this article the authors 

 endeavor to give a quantitative description of the nature and amount of varia- 

 tion in the form and size of the comb normally occurring in a homogeneous 

 pure-bred strain of Barred Plymouth Rock hens. Apparently there is a con- 

 tinuous variation in every definable characteristic of the comb. The extraor- 

 dinary degree of variation which exists even within a single comb type is 

 illustrated by figures, and the frequency distributions for variation are pre- 

 sented in tabular form. In hybridizing experiments with single and pea comb 

 crosses results were similar to those found by Davenport (E. S. R., 20, p. 1072). 



On the inheritance of color in domestic pigeons, with special reference to 

 reversion, R. Staples-Rrownk ( /'roc Zoo/. ,s'0(-. Ijjndoii, IHUS, /, pp. G7-10Jf, 

 plx. -'i ; abs. Zt-scJir. Iiuluktirv Abstain, u. Vererbuiigslelirc, I (1909). \o. //. pp. 

 39j, 396).— In these experiments the greater number of matings were between 

 the black Ba)'b and the white Fantail, a cross originally made use of by Darwin 

 and by which he obtained a breed nearly identical to Columba livia. In the 

 first generation the birds were all black except a few white feathers. In the 

 second generation blacks, whites, reds, and blues appeared. 



" The black element is dominant or epistatic to the blue and must be regarded 

 as not derived from the wild pigeon but added to it by some subsequent varia- 

 tion. . . . The F 1 generation shows a dominance of black to white. . . . The 

 blue type may be homozygous or may be dominant to white. Black was never 

 obtained by the mating together of two blues. The mating of blues and blacks 

 shows that blue is a simple i*ecessive to black. ... A majority of reds produced 

 in a F 2 generation and from subsequent matings showed a bluish tail with a 

 very distinct bar, the end parts also having a bluish tinge. . . . Red has shown 

 itself to be recessive to both black and blue but dominant to white." AVith 

 Harb-Xuu crosses no blue birds were produced. 



" A cross between a white Tumbler and a white Fantail gave an interesting 

 lesult. The F 1 l)irds were either pure white or showed a few colored feathers. 

 Two of the latter bred together gave whites, ' ticked whites." and tricolors. The 

 appearance of these colored birds in F 2 ])oints to the white Tumbler being a 

 dominant white." 



Studies were also made of the irides, beaks, claws, and eye wattles. There is 

 a marked correlation between the black iris and the black plumage, and to a 

 lesser degree between the black plumage and the white iris. Pigment in the 

 beak and claws is correlated with certain types of plumage. The red wattle 

 appeared to be dominant over the flesh-colored. 



[Analyses of feeding stuffs], R. E. Rose and \. M. Henry {Fid. Quart. 

 Hill. IJrpt. Ayr., 19 (1909), No. 2, pp. 80-8i^).— Analytical data are reported of 

 732— Xo. 2—0!) 6 



