8 



THE GENETIC AND THE OPERATIVE EVIDENCE 



a'^Tose comb. The feathers that were plucked at the time of operation 

 were replaced at once by new feathers of the cock-feathered type. The 

 new feathers that came in as the old ones were molted were also cock- 

 type, and the bird soon assumed the complete characteristic cock- 

 feathering. The comb was shrunken as in castrated birds (plate 5, 



SEBRIGHT. 

 Plates 6 and 8. 



1. On the head (o) the feathers are small, 



dull black with hghter margin and 

 reddish quill. 



2. On the hackle (6) the feathers are yellow 



bordered with black, expecially at 

 the base, and at the tip outside of 

 this border there is a narrow yellow 

 border (broader at base). The 

 border is absent at tip. 



3. In the middle of the back (between the 



wings) the feathers are yellow with 

 black margin at the tip. At the 

 base there is some dark color. 



CASTRATE. 

 Plates 6 and 8. 



1 . Feathers entirely yellow and more slender. 

 Those on each side of the shrunken 

 comb stand up from the head. 



2. Hackles on upper part of neck have a 

 black base with red tip. The 

 outer edge, without barbules, is 

 narrow, then broader than at tip. 

 Farther down the neck the edge 

 with barbules is yellow with a 

 narrow black margin. 



3. In the part of the feather with barbules 

 there is a yellow center bordered 

 by a broad black band, especially 

 at base. In the part without bar- 

 bules the feathers are yellow and 

 more pointed. This region espe- 

 cially is deeper yellow than in the 

 original Sebright. 



4. Saddle consists of long, slender laced 

 feathers, except at tip, which is red. 

 Barbules are absent along edge of 

 outer third of feather. 



5. Tail coverts long, covering the tail as in 

 cock birds of other breeds. The 

 sickle feathers, especially the upper 

 ones, are much curved, with black 

 tips; the black margin is largely 

 gone. The feathers are mossy, 

 sometimes splotched (this is also 

 sometimes noticeable in normal 

 birds). 



6. The tail feathers themselves are almost 

 twice as long as in normal bird; the 

 upper feathers are more curved. 



7. The feathers of wing bow are like those of 

 the back of the same bird, but 

 shorter. 



8. The crop feathers are narrower, with a 

 wider black margin, and a few may 

 be also entirely black. Feathers 

 on lower breast much Uke those in 

 normal, but a little more pointed. 



figures). During the spring of 1917 it was noticed that the bird was 

 going back towards the hen-feathered type, and by the end of the summer 

 he was in the intermediate condition, as shown by the photograph and 

 by the individual feathers (plate 8, 16, 26, 36, 46) . The comb had begun 

 to enlarge also. The bird was opened again (1918) and pieces of testis 

 about as big as peas were found on one side. Evidently a piece of the old 



4. The saddle is made up of typical laced 



feathers with black where the 

 fluff begins. 



5. The tail coverts are short; the upper 



ones, especially the short sickles, 

 are slightly curved. The sickle 

 feathers eirtend up only about half 

 the length of the tail. They are 

 yellow, laced, and have a black 

 margin, tending to be lost at tip. 



6. The yellow tail is short and erect. 



7. The feathers on the wing bow are prac- 



tically like those on the back, but 

 shorter. 



8. Over the crop and lower breast the 



feathers are laced. 



