266 



EARL W. BENJAMIN 



The results of this study agree in general with the findings of other 

 workers, already discussed. 



The record of five individuals in figure 39 agrees in general with the 

 records in figures 36 to 38. 



Color 



Dec. 



Jan. 



Feb. March April May June 



July Aug. 



FlG. 39. MEAN MONTHLY COLOR RECORDS FOR FIVE NORMAL INDIVIDUALS FOR A PERIOD 



OF FIVE YEARS 



Variations in types of successive individual eggs 



An opportunity is furnished by figures 18, 21, and 24 (pages 243, 246, 

 and 249) to observe how the types of successive eggs may be affected by 

 the general type of the bird and the rate of laying. 



In figure 18 it may be noted that in nearly every instance when two or 

 more eggs are laid on successive days, the sise gradually diminishes until 

 the bird rests for one or more days, when the size of the next egg is again 

 larger. This agrees with many more charts constructed for this same 

 character, and is in entire accordance with Curtis (1914 a). 



A study of figure 21, which agrees in general with other charts constructed 

 for the shape character but not reproduced here, reveals the fact that in 

 a large proportion of the instances when two or more eggs are laid in 

 succession, the egg laid later is rounder than the one laid earlier. About 

 60 per cent of the cases showed an increase in the index, 25 per cent showed 

 no change, and 15 per cent showed a decrease. This condition may 



