SEX. r 331 



suggested by Dr. Flint, that the degree of impregna- 

 tion determines the sex. 



Mr. Wright says : "1. If a vigorous cockerel be 

 mated with not more than three adult hens, the cocks 

 almost always largely predominate in at least the early 

 broods ; later this becomes uncertain. 2. If an adult 

 cock be mated with not more than three pullets, the 

 result is very uncertain, the one sex being as likely to 

 occur as the other ; but usually there is a decided pre- 

 dominance on one side, rather than equality. 3. If 

 an adult cock be mated with five or more pullets, the 

 pullets are generally in excess; and what cockerels 

 there are will be most numerous in the earlier eggs. 



oo 



4. Young birds or adult birds mated together are very 

 uncertain ; but the fewer hens, and the more vigorous 

 the stock, the greater is the proportion of cockerels, 

 which are always more numerous in the earlier eggs 

 of a season than the later." 1 



As Mr. Wright, however, admits that " there will 

 be numerous and startling exceptions " a to these rules, 

 they can hardly be accepted as the expression of a 

 general law. 



The theory presented by Dr. Flint appears to be 

 in direct conflict with apparently well-authenticated 

 facts observed among insects. In a hive of bees may 

 be found a queen-bee (a perfect female), a number of 

 drones (males), and the neuter workers (imperfect fe- 

 males), which are by far the most numerous. It is 

 well known, as first shown by Dzierzon, that an un- 

 impregnated queen lays eggs that produce drones, and 



1 " The Illustrated Book of Poultry," p. 133. 



2 Loc. cit., p. 45. 



