ABSTRACTS. 353 



2. Failing a specific effect is there a general effect upon the 

 germinal material ? 



3. What in general are the effects upon the soma of the 

 treated individual of the continued administration of such 

 poisons ? 



4. Are the somatic effects upon the treated individuals of a 

 sort to give any clue to the probable origin, or mechanism of 

 the germinal changes? 



The foundation stock used in these experiments came from 

 pedigreed strains of two breeds of poultry, Black Hamburgs 

 and Barred Plymouth Rocks. Both of the strains used have 

 been so long pedigree-bred by the writer, and used in such a 

 variety of Mendelian experiments, that they may be regarded 

 as "reagent strains," whose genetic behavior under ordinary 

 circumstances may be predicted with a "degree of probability 

 amounting practically to complete certainty. Furthermore, the 

 results of crossing these two breeds reciprocally have been 

 thoroughly studied. 



Three poisons were used in the work, namely, ether, methyl 

 alcohol, and ethyl alcohol. These substances were administered 

 to the birds daily by the inhalation method. 



Turning to the results we may note first that the egg pro- 

 duction of the treated birds and the untreated controls was 

 entirely normal in respect of its seasonal distribution, as well 

 as in regard to its amount. 



There has been no significant difference in the egg production 

 of the treated birds and their untreated control sisters, either 

 in the total average number of eggs produced per bird nor in 

 the seasonal distribution of this production. The only conclu- 

 sion which can be drawn from the statistically insignificant 

 differences which appear between treated and control birds is 

 that the inhalation treatment has not affected the egg produc- 

 tion of the birds, either favorably or adversely. 



Regarding the offspring the results show that out of 12 dif- 

 ferent characters for which we have exact quantitative data, 

 the offspring of treated parents taken as a group are superior 

 to the offspring of untreated parents in 8 characters. The 

 offspring of untreated parents are superior to those .of the 

 treated in respect of but two characters and these are charac- 

 ters which are quite highly correlated with each other and 



