.374 MAINE AGRICUI^TURAIv EXP^RIMIiNT STATION. I912. 



Mating yoi ((^578 X ?4i4) gave 5 adult daughters with winter records 

 .as follows : | 23, 16, 5, o, o. 



Mating 702 {S 578 X 5 423) gave 11 adult daughters with winter 

 records as follows: 40, 34, | 28, 26, 21, 20, 20, 17, 15, 13, 10, 4. 



These records are characterized by four striking facts : (a) 

 the large number of 'Over 30' records when none is expected, 

 {h) the large number of high 'Under 30' records, (c) the ab- 

 sence except in one mating of zero records, and' {d) the sharp 

 T^reak within the 'Under 30' class, especially to be noted in mat- 

 ing 699, but also clear in each of the others. 



Now these four matings were remarkable in other respects 

 than the egg records of the progeny. They gave an extraordi- 

 narily high hatching record. This is shown in table 32. 



Considering that these figures include all eggs set during the 

 whole hatching season it is evident that the record is relatively 

 very high. In a former paper (30) I have shown (loc. cit., 

 table B, p. 131) that for the high laying Barred Rock matings 

 the mean percentage of fertile eggs was 80.7 per cent, while 

 55.1 per cent of the fertile eggs were hatched. Even those 



TABLE 32 

 Showing the hatching records of S 578's F2 matings 



Mating 



Eggs Set Eggs Infertile 



Eggs Fertile Chicks Hatched 



699 

 700 

 701 

 702 



58 



67 



.37 



49 





 



1 

 5 



58 

 57 

 36 



44 



46 

 37 

 27 

 37 



Totals 



201 



6 



195 



147 



Per cent, of eggs fertile = 97.01. 



Per cent, of fertile eggs hatched = 75.38. 



results could only be considered very good taking all the facts 

 into consideration. These back-cross matings of $ 578 far sur- 

 pass those records. 



One can only conclude that for some reason not apparent the 

 matings 699 to 702 were physiologically extremely favorable. 

 There seems to have been a what the breeders call a 'nick' here 

 ■of unusual character. These matings were noticeable through- 

 out the hatching season not only for the large number of the 

 chicks produced, but also for their extra fine, vigorous charac- 

 ter. The chick mortality from these matings was low. 



