572 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



tlie carcass tlian on the I'ekius. They both had a bright yellow skin and the 

 J)renst was well covered with meat. The unevenuess in size, which is always 

 pi-esent with Muscovy ducks in respect to the sexes, was not so apparent with 

 the hybrid ducklings. ... As the hybrid ducks matured almost no difference 

 was apparent between them as indicating one sex or another. The Pekins' 

 characteristic sex features are the curled feathers upon the tail and the peculiar 

 voice. The characteristic sex features of the Muscovys are principally those 

 of size. AV'ith the hybrids no curled tail feathers appeared ; in size all remained 

 quite equal, and the voice seemed to be much like that of the Muscovys. Upon 

 examination only two of the hybrid ducks could be found that were apparently 

 males; these two in size and other outward appearances were almost identical 

 with the rest. All of the rest but one seemed to have both male and female 

 organs. One seemed to show genuine female characteristics, and the hermaphro- 

 ditic chai'acters were not present." 



Records kept of nine breeds give for the "White Leghorn breed a total per- 

 centage of the theoretical production for the year of 31.37, for the Rhode 

 Island Red 29.36, for the Barred riymouth Rock 27.06. for the Buff Orpington 

 25.17, Black Langshan 22.29, White Orpington 20.33, White Wyandottes 29.44 

 (eight months), White Plymouth Rock 22.96 (nine months), and the Light 

 Brahma 12.72 (three months). The average percentage of the theoretical pro- 

 duction by months was as follows : November, 1912, 5.65 ; December, 14.1 ; 

 January, 1913, 20.28 ; February, 25.66 ; March, 41.61 ; April, 49.72 ; May, 48.63 ; 

 June, 42.68 ; July, 42.69 ; August, 29.22 ; September, 18.49 ; and October, 9. 



Tests were made to determine the efficiency of the parcel-post method of 

 shipping eggs. It was found that the cost of shipping eggs was in all cases 

 less than shipping by express, and proportionately much less in near-by than in 

 long hauls. Of the shipments 20 per cent arrived in excellent condition, 40 

 per cent had some eggs cracked, and 40 per cent one or more completely broken. 

 It seemed to be a question of care in handling rather than of kind of package. 

 It is concluded that parcel post does not offer a reliable method of shipping 

 eggs for hatching or for table purposes and that the violent shaking to which 

 the eggs ai'e subjected in some cases caused a rupture of the shell membrane 

 and destroyed their hatching power. 



Poultry rations and methods of feeding, H. R. Lewis (Xew Jersey Stas, 

 Circ. 39, pp. 3-8; Rpt. 1913, pp. 228-233).— K reprint of a portion of Bulletin 265, 

 previously noted (E. S. R., 31, p. 568), in which rations for laying hens, chicks, 

 and broilers are suggested. 



The establishment of a new breed of chickens on the basis of Mendelism, 

 A. HiNK (Dent. Tierarztl. Wchmchr., 22 {1914), -Vo. 26, pp. .',09, 4/O).— Experi- 

 ments are reported in which Wyandottes and an Italian breed were crossed for 

 several generations, resulting in the formation of a breed having a partridge 

 color, a small rose comb, a vigorous constitution, good laying qualities, and 

 other desirable characteristics. From a study of the rose-comb characteristic 

 it was evident that inheritance followed the ordinary Mendelian rule of 

 inheritance. 



On inheritance of weight in poultry, R. C. Punnett and P. G. Bailey 

 (Jour. Genetics, 4 (1914), Xo. 1, pp. 23-39, pJs. 2. figs. 9).— The two breeds 

 selected for these breeding experiments were the Gold-penciled Hamburgh and 

 the Silver Sebright Bantam, the object being to learn something about the trans- 

 mission of weight in poultry. It is concluded that " the facts of breeding offer 

 a clear indication that weight may depend upou the presence or absence of 

 definite genetic factors segregating from one another in gametogenesis on lines 

 with which students of these matters are already familiar." A scheme is sug- 



