THE CALL OF THE HEN. 141 



wide-pelvic-boned males with narrow-boned females with the 

 same .results. But wide-pelvic-boned males with hens of the 

 same formation (with the exception now and then at far-apart 

 intervals, a freak) brought excellent layers. Occasionally a 

 maje bird failed to transmit well, but this I afterwards found 

 was only when it was wholly lacking in masculine qualities, as 

 denoted by the width and depth of head and back of neck, 

 with other indications common to masculinity in all other 

 animals. From this time I began mating wide- pelvic-boned 

 males with my widest hens and a marked increase in the 

 number of great layers was evident in fact, the third year it 

 was the great exception to find anything but first-class layers 

 among the pullets. 



ITS ADVANTAGES. 



The advantages of this method for one owning even a 

 small flock of birds are so apparent that space need not be 

 given to discuss it. To one having a large flock it means, must 

 mean, a small fortune in additional profit, with no more labor 

 or investment; to those engaged in selling eggs for hatching 

 it is bound to mean everything in the near future. It 

 would be simply suicidal for a farmer, or anyone depending 

 upon the eggs of his flock for the profit, to be so unbusinesslike 

 as to buy eggs for hatching from untested flocks. We do not 

 believe it would be possible to find one who would do so, after 

 knowing from experiment stations and otherwise that the 

 method is unfailing. 



Some of the advantages over trap-nesting have been 

 stated; perhaps the strongest being that we cannot trap-nest 

 roosters. In addition, I might call attention to the fact that 

 trap-nesting a single bird must extend over the entire year to 

 be at all accurate, and would take many times the amount of 

 time it would require by this method to settle the laying 

 possibilities of a thousand pullets. A little more time would 

 settle the laying powers of a large mixed flock at mixed laying 

 seasons, which might require two or at least three examina- 

 tions a week or ten days apart. 



Again, a worthless pullet can be found when she is from 

 five to six months old and fatted and sold without having to 

 keep her a full year in order to do it safely. Besides, handling 

 hens almost always tends to disturb and discourage laying. 



