418 



been noted before 2. The rarity of such eggs, however, is indicated in 

 the statement of Valenciennes (loc. cit.) to the effect that the market- 

 men handling eggs in Paris estimated that such eggs were found not 

 more than 5 or 6 times in a year, at a time when the annual official 

 receipts of eggs amounted to over 141 millions. 



Data regarding the Bird which Laid the Triple-Yolked Egg. 

 The egg which forms the basis of this paper was laid Septem- 

 ber 27, 1909, by a Barred Plymouth Rock pullet bearing the leg-band 

 number 318. This pullet was hatched March 29. 1909. Its growth and 

 physiological development were normal. During the spring and summer 

 this chick was kept with others in a large field of grass, where it was 

 under free range conditions. On September 1, 1909. this pullet, along 



Fig. 1. Photograph (aj)proximate]y natural size) of the triple-yolked egg described 



in the text. 



with others, was put into the poultry-house which j^rovides permanent 

 winter quarters. She began laying about three weeks after this removal 

 to the house. Her complete laying record to the date of writing is as 

 follows: An egg was laid by bird No. 318 on: 

 September 21, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30 

 October 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19. 

 So far as is known the first three eggs laid by this bird were entirely 

 normal. That laid on September 26, was " softshelled" i. e., bore only 

 the shell membranes as an outside covering, with only a slight deposit 

 of lime in the form of a true shell. This was followed on the 27th by 

 the triple-yolked egg. Since that date the eggs from this bird have 



- Cf. Valenciennes, Xotes sur des œufs à plusiers jaunes contenus dans la 

 même coque. C. R. Ac. Sci. Paris. T. 42. p. 3—6, 1856. — Akers, L. C, A Three 

 Yolked Egg. Farm Poultry, Vol. 16. p. 358. 1895. — "Triple eggs" consisting of 

 three eggs fused together in various ways are described by Land ois. H., Mißbil- 

 dungen bei Hühnereiern, Zonl. Garten, Bd. 19. No. 1. p. 17 — 24. 1878. He makes no 

 mention, however, of ever having observed triple yolked eggs. 



