PARENTAL ALCOHOLISM AND THE PROGENY 261 



6. The absolute chick mortahty tends to be higher among the 

 females than 5,mong the males in general. This is true in four 

 out of the six basic groups in table 5. The two exceptions are, 

 first, methyl cf methyl 9 , in which group there was no chick 

 mortality whatever, and second, ether cf X untreated 9 , where 

 8 cf cf to 3 9 9 died. In two of the control groups of table 6 

 more female chicks than male died. In the other group absolute 

 mortality of the two sexes was equal. 



7. Turning to the figures for the relative mortality we find 

 that in only one of the groups in which there was some mortality 

 did a higher percentage of males than of females die. This was 

 in the group ether cf X untreated 9 . The considerable excess 

 of male deaths in this group, taken in connection with the gen- 

 erally low absolute mortality, was sufficient to bring the per- 

 centage mortality of males slightly, but not significantly, greater 

 than that of females in the general group treated cf X untreated 



9 9 . There seems to be no warrant for supposing that the 

 generally greater proportional mortality of females shown in 

 table 5 is in any way due to the alcoholization, since precisely 

 the same thing is shown in all the control series of table 6. 

 Taking grand totals the relative mortality of females is 3.4 

 per cent higher than that of the males among the offspring of 

 treated males, while it is 3.7 per cent higher in the best 22 mat- 

 ings of 1915. Since the last mentioned series shows a general 

 chick mortality rate nearest to that of the alcohol series as a 

 whole, it would seem to be the fairest control series for such a 

 relative comparison. 



Taking all the evidence in the case into account, it admits of 

 no doubt that the probability that a chick on the Maine Sta- 

 tion's poultry range in 1915 would survive to maturity was not 

 diminished, but, on the contrary, was in general substantially 

 increased if that chick's parents had both been subjected to a 

 daily dosage of alcohol for from four to seven months before 

 it was hatched. Since the chicks from treated parents were 

 indiscriminately mixed with those from normal parents in hous- 

 ing, yarding, feeding, watering, etc., the fact that the former 

 sort of chicks showed a lower mortality than the latter sort can 



