114 THE AMEBIC AN NATURALIST [Vol. XLV 



tainty, however, that they did not exceed 25. Of this 

 number that lost their leg bands 8 were known to be self- 

 colored birds. 



There were on the range in 1909 three classes of birds, 

 in respect to color pattern. These were (a) barred birds, 

 bearing either the pattern of the pure Barred Plymouth 

 Eock, or a modification of it; 4 (6) solid (self-colored) 

 black birds, resulting from the cross Cornish Indian 

 Game J 1 X Barred Eock ?; and (c) pure Cornish Indian 

 Games of the dark variety which may for present pur- 

 poses be classed as self-colored birds. 



With this somewhat lengthy explanation of the com- 

 position of the flock and method of keeping records in 

 hand we may proceed to examine the statistics of elimi- 

 nation. In compiling these statistics the blank birds 

 which lost their bands (ca. 25) have been included with 

 the eliminated. This does not affect the conclusions in 

 any way because of the facts that (1) the number of such 

 birds is so small relatively, and (2) the proportion of 

 self-colored to barred birds among those which lost their 

 bands is relatively higher than in the general population 

 from which they came. The significance of this point 

 will be apparent as we proceed. 



We have the following figures, it being understood that 

 "eliminated" means "killed by natural enemies" with 

 the inclusion of the small number of birds which lost their 

 bands as noted above. 



Total number of birds = 3,343. 



Number of barred birds = 3,007. 



Number of self-colored birds = 336. 



Total number of eliminated birds = 325. 



Number of barred birds eliminated =290. 



Number of self-colored birds elinmiated = 35. 

 The above figures include all eliminated birds, those 

 killed by recorded and unrecorded enemies together. If 

 we take only those killed by recorded enemies, which 



4 See Pearl, R., and Surface, F. M., "On the Inheritance of the Barrel 

 Color Pattern in Poultry." Arch. f. Entwicllungsmech., Bd. XXX, Pest- 

 Band fiir Roux), pp. 45-61, 1910. 



