IXFLUEXCE OF THE JIaLE BiRD. 1 29 



lately that any systematic experiment has been devoted to it, or that much has been really known 

 about the matter. The greater part of these experiments have been made in America, but some of 

 great value have also been recorded in England ; and perhaps the most practically useful way 

 of treating this important subject will be to state some of the facts which have been established by 

 testimony of the most indisputable kind, and carefully excluding any which are in the slightest 

 degree open to suspicion. 



Mr. I. K. Felch is one of the most extensive poultry-breeders in America, and states in the 

 New York Poultry Bulletin that as the result of long experience he has acquired and acted on the 

 conviction, that if the first three eggs laid after removal from the cock occur within four days, they 

 will be his progeny, and that the fourth egg will belong to the new one. As proof, he states that 

 he allows all his young stock before sale to breed together indiscriminately, relying on the few days 

 seclusion on rail or steamer to counteract all evil; and he adduces testimony from many purchasers 

 to prove that this is so, and that on arrival his birds always breed pure. Mr. Huntingdon, a noted 

 American game-breeder, confirms this view from an experience of twenty years. Mr. Felch again 

 reports a special experiment, in which he secluded from the cock two Brahma hens. The change of 

 locality, as it often does, stopped their laying after the first &%%, and they did not lay again till the 

 fifth day. He set the eggs then laid, but only one of the third eggs, laid on the sixth day, showed 

 signs of hatching, the rest being clear. And still later, in December, 1871, another fancier reports 

 putting a Houdan cock with two Brahma hens, and after letting him remain a few days separating 

 him and setting the eggs, which were carefully dated. The third egg after the separation of one 

 hen, and the fourth of the other, hatched, the rest being clear. Further, after a few days' separation, 

 a Brahma cock was put with the hens, and all the chickens appeared perfectly pure, none showing 

 any trace of Houdan blood. In another authentic experiment, a common dark hen with chickens, 

 after commencing to lay, was allowed to be once in company with a Brahma cock, after which eight 

 of her eggs -were set ; but the result was only one chick resembling the Brahma. 



Such facts, and others to the same effect which we omit for want of space, tend to prove that the 

 influence of a cock only extends for a short time after the union. But it has long been the opinion 

 of English fanciers that it often extends further, and there is now to be considered another class of 

 facts which tends to prove this view of the case. Mr. W. Simpson, Treasurer of the New York State 

 Poultry Society, allowed a hen which began to lay while with her chickens to remain several hours 

 with a cock, and then set the eggs, of which three contained chickens. Mr. E. Howlctt secluded a fine 

 Buff hen, which laid sixteen eggs after separation, and of which fourteen produced chickens. Another 

 gentleman separated both Cochin and Dorking hens, and the eggs for six days were fertile. And 

 still another set the eggs till the tenth day after his death from a hen which had run with a Brahma 

 cock, all proving fertile ; but when she commenced again after two days' cessation, all were barren. 



These experiments were simply directed to determine the question of fertility ; but others 

 bear both upon this point and that of preserving purity of race. A Mr. Payne, in England, had 

 two Spanish pullets running with both a Spanish and Cochin cock. After they began to lay the 

 Cochin was removed, and sLv weeks after the eggs were saved and set ; but the chickens were 

 feather-legged, in all other points resembling the Spanish. On another occasion the same gentle- 

 man allowed a Black-red Game hen, which laid while with chickens, to run a few hours with a 

 Brown-red cock ; and nine eggs produced chickens, which all resembled the father, or Brown-red. 

 Another English gentleman, w-hen residing in Canada, sold his Brahma cock and one hen, ailo\ving the 

 hen left to run afterwards with a Spangled Hamburgh which had five hens of his own. Every 

 ^^^ laid for ten days produced a pure Brahma chick, that laid on the eleventh day was a half-bred. 

 In America a Mr. Woodward bought in March some Spanish pullets which had been running all 

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