PRAIRIE FARMER'S POULTRY BOOK 



place in copulation or it may be brought about artificially. 

 After entering the cloaca, the spermatazoa swim to the in- 

 fundibulum in the fluid secretions of the oviduct, and here is 

 where fertilization takes place. The sperm cells collect at this 

 point in numbers, so that when the yolk is discharged into 

 the mouth of the ovary they are ready to penetrate the germ- 

 inal vesicle. 



They must have wonderful vitality and be capable of liv- 

 ing mahy days, for hens have been known to produce fertile 

 eggs for upwards of two weeks after the male has been re- 

 moved from the pen. It is at the time of fertilization that sex 

 is determined, not after the egg is laid, as some suppose, and 

 the determining factor is the chromosomes. In the initial 

 cell formed by the union of the two parent cells reside all the 

 possibilities of the individual. Color, shape, temperament, pre- 

 potency, and productive power are all wrapped up in this 

 miscroscopic point. 



Laws of Reproduction 



Some of the laws of reproduction are stated below : 



1. Like produces like. A Wyandotte will produce a Wy- 

 andotte. A single comb will produce a single comb. If this 

 law did not prevail all efforts to produce and improve new 

 breeds would be useless. 



2. When two individuals of divergent characters are inter- 

 bred, some of the progeny will resemble the sire, others the 

 dam ; some will show characters that hark back to the grand- 

 parents, some will exhibit variations and a blending of the 

 characters of sire and dam. These facts enable us to under- 

 stand why two unrelated birds of the same variety, though 

 closely resembling in type and color, will produce specimens 

 quite different in these respects from the parents. If we knew 

 fully the history and peculiarities of the grandparents we 

 could prophesy more accurately regarding the characters 

 which would appear in the offspring. This also explains why 

 a rose comb bred with a single comb will result in combs par- 

 taking of the peculiarities of both ; why a white bird bred with 

 a black will result in a mingling of the two. 



3. Atavism. While we are confident that like produces 

 like, we must not forget that there are certain influences which 

 seem to antagonize this law. Environment is one of these 

 influences. Modifications in the color pattern of some birds 



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