64 INHERITANCE IN POULTRY. 



RESULTS. 



Only the first hybrid generation has been produced. 



General Plumage Color. — Of 24 hybrids all were prevailingly black. 

 Among 18 of those that hatched 8 showed some red. This red is chiefly 

 found as a lacing on the hackle feathers or a peppering on the wing coverts,* 

 throat, f and outer margins of the remiges.J This seems to point to the 

 hypotheses that while black dominates over red the dominance is sometimes 

 imperfect. When red occurs it occurs on those feathers that normally con- 

 tain red in the Game, and on that part of the feather that is red in the Game. 



Uropygium. — This is invariably present, apparently fully developed. 



Iris Color. — All the hybrids have dark-brown eyes; only one shows a 

 trace of red. The hypothesis seems justified that in this case dark-brown 

 iris pigment is dominant over red and yellow. 



Vulture Hock. — This is always absent. In only a single case§ are the 

 feathers slightly elongated on the hock. 



Foot Feathering. — Every chick that hatched has the foot and at least 

 one toe booted. In some cases this booting is much reduced as compared 

 with the Cochin parent. Booting is dominant, but not always completely so. 



CONCLUSIONS. 



In this cross of black vs. red, black appears to be dominant, although im- 

 perfectly so. The two colors do not blend, however, but red appears in a 

 particulate fashion, usually in the parts of the plumage that have normally 

 least black pigment. It is as if there were a struggle between the two 

 pigments and red overcame black where black was weakest. 



The presence of tail in the first hybrid generation is confirmatory of the 

 results of the preceding series. Rumplessness is apparently recessive. 



Brown iris color appears to dominate over the older red, and booting 

 dominates over the ancestral clean-footed condition. 



*Nos. 589j'and798J', fNo. 587 ?. J No. 577?. §No. 65icf. 



