\ 300 MAINE AGRICUIvTURAL e;xPE;rIMENT STATION. I912. 



Calendar year - Eggs laid 



1902 105 



1903 • r 16.3 



1904 138 



1905 IS9 



IQ06 160 



1907 133 



1908 Ill 



Total 969 



Average per year 138 3-7 



Heier (17) gives a four-year record for a Braekel hen, which 

 is distinctly higher than would usually be obtained over so long 

 a period. The figures are as follows : 



Laying Year Eggs laid 



First "153 



Second 139 



Third 152 



Fourth 162 



Total 606 



Average per year 151 1-2 



In this connection the paper of Dackweiler (5) is of interest. 

 Both of the cases here cited are of fowls of the Mediterranean 

 type, in which the tendency to accumulate body fat with advanc- 

 ing age is not marked. I know of no records comparing with 

 these in extent for Plymouth Rocks or other American or Asi- 

 atic breed. After two years the fecundity of Plymouth Rocks, 

 in all cases which have been observed at the Maine Experiment 

 Station, becomes greatly reduced. 



An examination of table 4 in detail indicates that there is no 

 very close or definite relationship between the number of visible 

 number of oocytes on the ovary and the winter production of a 

 bird. Thus no. 1367 and no. 3546 each have about the same 

 number of visible oocytes, yet one lias a winter production 

 record 18 times as great as the other. Again no. 71 with the 

 extraordinarily high winter record of 106 eggs has only a little 

 more than one-half as many visible oocytes as has no. 2067, 

 whose winter production record is only 32 eggs. Again no. 71 

 with its 106 record has very nearly the same oocyte count as 

 no. 8010 with a winter record of zero. In general it may be 

 said that the present figures give no indication that there is any 

 correlation between fecundity as measured by winter produc- 

 tion, and the number of oocytes in the ovary. Of course, the 



