EVOLUTION OF MODERN FOWL 15 



Causes of Variation. A more abundant food supply 

 undoubtedly accounts for many of the differences between 

 the wi]d fowl and the modern tame fowl. The wild fowl 

 varies little. It breeds true century after century, but 

 under domestication it rapidly evolves new characteristics. 

 Egg production depends upon a steady supply of good food. 

 This would not be secured in the wild state. The effect of 

 domestication has been at once to increase fecundity. The 

 wild fowl laid a dozen or possibly two dozen eggs in a year ; 

 the tame fowl now lays ten times as many. A change of 

 climate and a change of soil induce variation and increase 

 vigor, and these have been potent factors, doubtless, in in- 

 creased egg production. An abundant food supply operates 

 in the same direction. Higher production came immediately 

 into play when the fowl was put under conditions more con- 

 genial to egg production. 



It is known that the wild pheasant under confinement 

 produces twice the number of eggs that she produces in the 

 wild state. Mr. Simpson of the Oregon State Game Farm 

 gets an average of about sixty eggs a year from his China 

 pheasants, and he has known them to lay a hundred, while 

 in nature they lay but two sittings of about 13 eggs each. 

 Another pheasant raiser is reported in United States Far- 

 mers Bulletin 390 as stating that seven of his hens laid 131 

 eggs and then stopped, but when he put them into a fresh 

 pen they laid 174 more. 



A change therefore to congenial surroundings or environ- 

 ment at once gives a decided increase in production. It 

 would seem that a large part of the increased productive- 

 ness is due not so much to selection but to improved en- 

 vironment. If we are to accept the United States census 

 figures of about 80 eggs a year as the average production 

 of the hens of the United States, it is no more of an increase 

 over the jungle fowl's production than might reasonably 

 be expected from better environmental conditions. 



