Atavism in Guinea-Chicken Hybrids 735 
conspicuous on the back and are most distinctly visible on the 
feathers of the sides and ventral surface. Fig. 15, Plate IV, is 
a photograph of a feather from the ventral surface of the fowl. 
By comparing it with Figs. 9, 41, 12; 13,¥ late TE, it will be seen 
that it resembles somewhat in the wavy nature of its bands the 
marking of the hybrid feather. 
The question confronts us as to whether any connection can be 
traced between this color pattern of Agelastes meleagrides and 
that of Numida meleagris, which is the real ancestral species of 
the hybrids. 
In the most conspicuously marked feathers of N. meleagris one 
sees only the characteristic white dots on a dark background (Fig. 
28, Plate [V), but when certain feathers of the neck, back and 
breast are examined carefully (Figs. 16-27, Plate IV) considerable 
trace of barring, especially towards the base of the feather, may 
be found. ‘These feathers have not yet progressed to the stage 
of complete dotting. However, in a typically spotted feather 
(Fig. 28, Plate IV) one may usually see in the arrangement of the 
dots a trace of the transverse pattern. Even on the exposed parts 
of some of the wing feathers of certain individuals (Fig. 1, Plate I) 
there are transverse white bars. Furthermore, on certain of the 
upper neck feathers there is little trace of the ordinary larger 
white dotting, but in its stead there exists a series of finer white 
curved markings (Figs. 20, 21, Plate IV) which approach more 
nearly in appearance those of Agelastes (Fig. 15). 
I have found still further interesting examples of this barring in 
two unusual specimens of Numida meleagris at the Mus. d’hist. 
nat., Paris. These two fowls resemble closely a form that I once 
obtained in a Cincinnati market. The characteristic dotted color 
pattern has failed to develop except on a few flight feathers and 
on certain feathers of the ventral surface of the body. Many of 
the exposed feathers have, however, a salt and pepper effect in 
coloring, due to the presence of minute specks of white on the 
darker background (Figs. 22, 25, 26, Plate IV). This white dot- 
ting can, upon close inspection, be resolved into more or less of a 
definite series of vermiculations approximating those of Agelastes 
meleagrides. In still other feathers of each of the three fowls, a 
