SEXUAL CHARACTERS OF SOME DOMESTIC BIRDS. 27 



would otherwise. "V^Hiatever improvement, if any, in flavor is due 

 more to special methods of fattening than to removal of the germ glands. 

 In the absence of the latter, the capon retains certain of his youthful 

 characters much longer than he would otherwise, but it is very doubt- 

 ful whether a young cockerel fed and cooked the same as a capon 

 could be distinguished by taste alone from the latter. Coinciding with 

 the time of sexual maturity, the cockerel of the market breeds become 

 "staggy," a condition characterized by a hardening of the muscles with 

 the development of a greater amount of connective tissue. The com- 

 mercial advantages of caponizing are found in greater size and slow 

 maturity, with accompanying retention of the soft, richly flavored flesh. 

 Eventually, however, capons become hard in flesh. 



The capon has been investigated, as a matter of scientific interest, 

 by several students — Foges, Halban, and others. They reach essen- 

 tially the same results, though there are some contradictions which, 

 however, are easily explained. They are agreed that while the comb 

 and wattles remain small, the plumage is essentially like that of the 

 male, except that it lacks brilliancy. However, normal males often lack 

 a good color, due to late hatching, overcrowding, poor growth, and 

 other unfavorable conditions. Indeed, the plumage of capons when 

 properly cared for is fully as brilliant as that of normal males. None 

 of these observers states the variety of fowls used, an important feature, 

 as the males of some breeds have very small combs and wattles. The 

 spurs, too, vary much in the age at which they appear. In Leghorns 

 spurs 10 mm. long have been recorded at 3 months of age. In some 

 Plymouth Rocks and Brahmas they are just beginning to appear when 

 the birds are a year old. If this variability among normal males be 

 given due consideration, the discrepancies in the observations may be 

 accounted for. 



For the present study, the Leghorns were selected, among other 

 reasons, because, first, they are not commonly caponized ; second, in each 

 sex the comb and wattles are very large ; third, the spurs appear in the 

 males at a comparatively early age. In a breed with these character- 

 istics we find the following histories after castration: 



Seven pure-bred Brown Leghorns were castrated when from 21 to 28 

 days of age, although commercially males are caponized at 2 to 3 months 

 of age. At this time they possessed, in addition to the down, only 

 remiges and rectrices. Two of the birds were kept until they were 16 

 months of age, while the other two were kept until 4^ years of age. 

 One of the two that was killed at 16 months had long been recognized 

 as different from the others. He was more active and inclined to pay 

 attention to the hens and grew a relatively large comb and wattles 

 by the time he was 6 months of age. However, he was never observed 

 to crow, though often watched and though particular efforts were made 

 to get him to crow. On making the autopsy, a piece of testicle con- 



