242 RAYMOND PEARL 



used, etc., has been given in I,- the first paper in this series. The 

 effect of the alcohohzation by the inhalation method used, upon 

 the treated birds themselves, has been given in 11.^ 



It will be recalled that, as stated in I, the present report 

 covers the results of the work up to February 1, 1916 only. 

 Further data will be given in later reports. 



II. THE FERTILITY AND HATCHING QUALITY OF THE EGGS FROM 

 ALCOHOLIZED PARENTS 



One of the surest and most delicate indicators of constitu- 

 tional vigor and vitality in poultry which has yet been dis- 

 covered is the hatching quality of the eggs. Anything which 

 upsets the general metabolic balance or impairs the vitality of 

 either partner in a mating will show its effect in a diminished 

 hatching power of the eggs from that mating. In view of these 

 facts an examination of the data relative to this character in 

 these alcoholic matings becomes of especial interest. 



Before entering upon such an examination it is necessary to 

 consider the question of control data. Unfortunately the un- 

 treated control male No. 666 (cf. I, table 2) proved to be prac- 

 tically completely impotent sexually. He mated regularly and 

 apparently effectively with the females in his pen, but practi- 

 cally all of the eggs proved to be infertile, regardless of whether 

 the female concerned was an alcoholic or an untreated normal 

 control. In consequence of this matings 2131, 2132, and 2133 

 which were planned to serve as controls, were practically com- 

 plete failures. The results which they gave were so far from 

 normal that it would be entirely misleading to use them as con- 



2 This refers to the first paper in this series, which was entitled: "The experi- 

 mental modification of germ cells. I. General plan of experiments with ethyl 

 alcohol and certain related substances." Jour. Exp. Zool., vol. 22, pp. 125. 

 Throughout this and the later papers in the series cross-references to other 

 papers in the same series will be made simply by the Roman numeral designating 

 the paper referred to, together with the particular page nimiber to which refer- 

 ence is made. 



" This refers to the second paper in this series, which was entitled: "II. The 

 effect upon the domestic fowl of the daily inhalation of ethyl alcohol and cer- 

 tain related substances." Jour. Exp. Zool., vol. 22, pp. 165. 



