THE 



AMERICAN NATURALIST 



Vol. LIII. September- October, 1919 No. 628 



EGG-WEIGHT AS A CEITERION OF NUMERICAL 

 PRODUCTION IN THE DOMESTIC FOWL^ 



DR. PHILIP HADLEY 



WiiEx one surveys the field of literature dedicated to 

 the subject of eg'g-produetiou in tlie doiiiestic fowl lie may 

 well be astonished at the vast iniiiiber of way- ami mcnii^ 

 by which a poultryman can detect tlu' best layer- of his 

 flock. Indeed one exai^.j^erates only sliuhily id >a\- that 

 tliere is scarcely an incident in tlic lien's daily piouram, 

 nor an event in her lif(\ that lias not been interpreted by 



ability — good or poor. Was tlie hen seen to rise early and 

 dispatcli a one-hundred-calory portion of ma-li. toucilicr 

 with nine bugs and three worms, before hei- -i-tm - wei(^ 

 off the roost? Then put her down un(inali[iedly a< an 

 industrious hen and enthusiastic layer a credit to any 

 ])oultry house. Was tlu^ hen ob^ei'\ cd to woi-k after hour- 

 gleaning tlie last fragment of grain from tlie litter, or 

 perchance chasing lightning l)ugs through the twilight 

 grass, when other union-members of the flock had ceased 

 work for the day and retired to roost? Then register her 

 as one that has her master's interests at heart, and one 

 that should be viirorou-Iy .'n<-oura-ed to reproduce luu- 

 like. Did the hen lo-,. the yellow -lamonr of hvv -hanks 

 and heak {<huibtle- the e^inivalmt of -nod eomple\i.>ii in 

 a hen) Did -he molt in duly .>r Auun-t.' \Va- lu-r comb 



