INHERITANCE OF FECUNDITY 



255 



TABLE 33 



Showing the observed and expected distributions of ivinter egg production for all 



matings taken together 



1 With exception of the matings of C.I.G. cf 578 X Barred Fi 9 9 . Cf. p. 246. 



gether fair estimate of the matter, but some sort of a summary 

 is necessary. 



Considering the nature of the material and the character dealt 

 with it can only be concluded that the agreement between obser- 

 vation and hypothesis is as close as could reasonably be expected. 

 The chief point in regard to which there is a discrepancy is in the 

 tendency, particularly noticeable in the B.P.R. x B.P.R. and the 

 F-i matings, for the observations to be in defect in the 'Over 30' 

 class and in excess in the 'Zero' class. The explanation of this 

 is undoubtedly, as has been pointed out in the body of the paper, 

 to be found in disturbing physiological factors. The high pro- 

 ducing hen, somewhat like the race horse, is a rather finely strung, 

 delicate mechanism, which can be easily upset, and prevented from 

 giving full normal expression to its inherited capacity in" respect 

 to fecundity. 



In order to forestall any possible change of manipulation of the 

 data to support a particular hypothesis all of the figures (with the 

 exception of 7 birds discussed on p. 233 and the F2 mating of d" 

 578) have been entered throughout exactly as they stood on the 

 original books of record. That is to say, some birds known to 

 be physiologically abnormal or pathological have not been re- 

 jected, but have been entered in the tables and then discussed in 



