TRIPIvET CAIvVES. 271 



has prepared a table (loc cif. pp. 122, 123) showing the weight 

 of Short-horn cattle at various stages from birth up to 3 years 

 and 176 days for males and 7 years and 58 days for females. 

 In this table the bulls and steers are lumped together, and the 

 weights of cows are given in another column. Leathers (loc. 

 cit.) gives the weight of his triplet calves at three ages; namely 

 six months, nine months and one year. From data given in the 

 column headed "Bulls and Steers" in Meek's table I have en- 

 deavored to calculate the weight of normal (i. e., single birth ^. 

 Short-horn cattle at the same ages. As a necessary conseqitence 

 of the method of collection Meek's data represent rather uneven 

 intervals in age. The best it seems possible to do from this 

 table in approximating normal mean weights of Short-h irn 

 males at the three specified ages is to take the records closest 

 (on either side) to the required number of days and average 

 the weig'hts given for those ages. The table gives the weights of 

 four individuals ranging in age from 173 to 201 day-- Two of 

 these individuals v\^ere 176 days old, one 173 days and the other 

 201 days. Averaging these four together to get an approxima- 

 tion to the normal mean weight at six months ( rSo day-^^ of 

 age, the result is 351.5 pounds. Similarly the table gives the 

 weights of five individuals ranging in age from 265 days ta 

 292 days. Averaging these together to get an approximation 

 to the mean weight for age nine months (270 days) I get 

 505.6 pounds. The weights given range from 486 to 540 

 pounds. Finally to get an approximation to the normal weights 

 of Short-horn males one year of age I have averaged together 

 the weights of six individuals in the table ranging in age from 

 350 days to i year and 13 days. The weights of these individu- 

 als range from 672 pounds to 718 pounds and the average 

 weight is 698.3 pounds. Putting all these data together for 

 comparison with the figures of Leathers for the triplets we 

 have the result shown in the following table. The figures tabled 

 for the triplets are the mean weight per individual at each age, 

 obtained by dividing the value given by Leathers by 3 in each 

 case.' 



