SEX-CHARACTERS IN EVOLUTION 131 



the original feathers, one, the left central posterior 

 covert, continued to grow till 13tli July 1902, when it 

 was 2 feet 9J inches long without the part contained 

 in the follicle. All the feathers pulled out immediately 

 commenced to grow again, except the last two pulled 

 out 27th May and 13th July, which did not grow again 

 till the following moulting season, in September. 



The first right central rectrix in cock B was 

 accidentally pulled out on 13th April 1902, when it 

 was 2 feet 9^ inches long. Its successor began to 

 grow immediately, and in course of time pieces of it 

 were broken off accidentally without injury to the 

 base in the socket, which continued to grow until 

 16th June 1905, when it was torn out of its socket. 

 The total length of the feather with the pieces 

 previously broken off, which were measured and 

 preserved, was 11 feet 5^- inches. It therefore 

 continued to grow without interruption for three 

 years and two months at an average rate of 3*6 

 inches per month. 



In cock A only four of the short outer rectrices 

 were moulted in the beginning of September 1902 : 

 the longer feathers — namely, central rectrices and 

 tail coverts — which ceased to grow naturally in the 

 spring of 1902, were not moulted till the beginning of 

 October. This shows the great importance of pulling 

 out the feathers as soon as they show signs of ceasing 

 to grow, in order to obtain the abnormally long 

 feathers. The central rectrices continued to grow 

 till the beginning of September 1903, when that of the 

 left side was 3 feet 6 inches long, that of the right about 

 an inch shorter. The coverts had ceased to grow of 

 their own accord some time before this, and the central 

 ones of the posterior row were about 3 feet long. 



