152 MAINE AGRicuLTURAi. e;xpe;rimi;nt station. 1909. 



5. It is shown that the individuaHty of the female bird is 

 a very important factor in the determination of the fertihty of 

 eggs. Different individual females have characteristic degrees 

 of fertility of their eggs, independent (within limits) of the 

 character of the male bird with which they are mated. This 

 fact emphasizes the importance to the breeder of trapnesting 

 through the breeding season at least. 



6. The present statistics indicate that there is no correlation 

 whatever between winter (November to March) egg production 

 and the fertility of eggs laid during the subsequent hatching 

 season. In other words, the eggs of the heavy winter layer 

 are not more likely on the average to be infertile than are those 

 of the light winter layer, other conditions being the same. 



7. There is a distinct correlation between the winter 

 (November to March) egg production and the per cent, of fer- 

 tile eggs hatched during the subsequent breeding season. This 

 correlation is of such sort as to indicate that in general the 

 higher the winter egg production of a particular bird the lower 

 will the percentage of that bird's fertile eggs hatched probably 

 be and vice versa. 



8. The present statistics do not show any marked superiority 

 of hens over pullets in respect to breeding performance so far 

 as either fertility or hatching quality of eggs are concerned. 

 It must be understood that this is merely a statement of fact 

 and does not constitute any recommendation for the use of 

 either pullets or hens as breeders. That question involves more 

 than the two factors here under discussion. 



9. There is no indication that the fertility of eggs in the 

 pullet year and in the second breeding year are in any way cor- 

 related. In other words, a bird whose eggs run high in fertility 

 in the pullet year is as likely as not to produce eggs running low 

 in fertility the second year, and vice versa, when mated with 

 the same male or with males of essentially equal breeding 

 ability as shown by their pen averages. 



10. There is a significant positive correlation between the 

 percentage of fertile eggs hatched in the pullet year and in the 

 second breeding year. In other words, the bird whose eggs are 

 of superior hatching quality in the pullet year will, on the aver- 

 age, show the same characteristic in her second year. 



