THE CALL OF THE HEN. 



121 



proved to my own satisfaction. Then the various objections 

 and criticisms, which will occur to many readers, had to be 

 answered or met by actual practical experiences. 



The method enables one, First to easily and without er- 

 ror, weed out all the worthless birds from a flock; those that da 

 not lay at all, also that lay so little that it is a loss to keep them. 

 This alone means millions to this country. Second to separ- 

 ate just as unerringly all pullets before they begin to lay: indi- 

 cating the coming great layers, the fair layers, the very poor, 

 and the ban en. The latter will be found in nearly all flecks. 

 Third to tell those not liable to lay when disposing of old or 

 other hens for the table or market, or for other icasons. 



Beginning my investigation as I was compelled to with 

 birds selected wholly without egg record, I was soon greatly 

 impressed with the dissimilarity of formation of the pelvic 

 bones and surrounding portions of the body, particularly of the 

 former. Some I found nearly closed up, hard and unyielding: 



Cut No. 1. A Leghorn Hen Showing This Development Has the 

 Laying Instinct at its Maximum 



