INHERITANCE IN POULTRY. 



lu treating of my experiments I propose first to give the results by the 

 races crossed, and, secondly, to discuss in order the problems that were set 

 at the beginning. My experiments led me to lay little stress on the races 

 as named by fanciers. In fact it is not races that have been crossed but 

 characteristics. However, as the breeders' names have a utility in bringing 

 to the mind a certain combination of characteristics, they have been freely 

 employed. The different races whose offspring are discussed in this paper 

 are given below in the order adopted in Wright's Poultry Book. 



Buff Cochin (Bantam). 

 Black Cochin (Bantam). 

 Dark Brahma (Bantam). 

 Black-breasted Red Game. 

 Single-comb Black Minorca. 

 Rose-comb Black Minorca. 

 Single-comb White Leghorn. 



White-crested Black Polish. 



Houdan. 



Frizzle. 



Silky. 



Tosa fowl, or Yokohama. 



Rumpless Game Bantam. 



C. RESULTS OF CROSSING. 



Series I.— Single-comb Blacl< Minorca and White-crested Black Polish, 

 STATE.MENT OF PROBLEM. 

 The cross was undertaken primarily to learn the method of inheritance of 

 the crest, cerebral hernia, and comb of the remarkable Polish fowl. 



THE RACES AS A WHOI,E. 



The Black-crested White Polish (figs, i and 2) belongs to a class — Polish 

 fowl — which is one of the fundamental types of poultry. The origin of the 

 Polish fowl is obscure. They were mentioned by Aldrovandi in the six- 

 teenth century. They are found to-day in most parts of the world, and their 

 most characteristic feature may, indeed, have originated indepentlently many 

 times. This feature is a cerebral hernia and its associated crest of large 

 feathers. 



The Single-comb Black Minorca (figs. 3 and 4) is a typical representative 

 of the Mediterranean class of poultrj- — tall, stately, close-feathered, non- 

 broody fowl, — modern representatives of the ancient Egyptian poultry. 

 They seem, indeed, to have come from Spain, those imported to England 

 having, according to Wright (1902, p. 391), come from the island whose 

 name they bear. The single combed form is the original and typical variety. 



TABLE OF CHARACTERISTICS. 



