No. 530] RELATIVE CONSPICUOUSNESS OF FOWLS 1 15 



under the conditions prevailing on the plant in 1909 

 means practically those killed by rats, we have : 



Number of barred birds eliminated by recorded ene- 

 mies = 68. 



Number of self-colored birds eliminated by recorded 

 enemies = 6. 



From these figures the following proportions are de- 

 rived : Of the total number of birds 10.05 per cent, were 

 self-colored. 



Of all the eliminated birds 10.77 per cent, were self- 

 colored. 



If we consider by themselves the birds eliminated by 

 recorded enemies, we have : 



Of the birds eliminated by recorded enemies 8.11 per 

 cent, were self-colored. 



Putting the figures in another way we have: 



Of the self-colored birds 10.42 per cent, were elimi- 

 nated by all enemies. 



Of the barred birds 9.64 per cent, were eliminated by 

 all enemies. 



Of the self-colored birds 1.79 per cent, were eliminated 

 by recorded enemies (chiefly rats). 



Of the barred birds 2.26 per cent, were eliminated by 

 recorded enemies. 



Of the self -colored birds 8.63 per cent, were eliminated 

 by unrecorded enemies (chiefly predaceous birds). 



Of the barred birds 7.38 per cent, were eliminated by 

 unrecorded enemies (chiefly predaceous birds). 



The conclusion to be drawn from these figures, which 

 involve a large number of individuals, is obvious. It is 

 that the relative inconspicuousness of the barred color 

 pattern afforded its possessors no great or striking pro- 

 tection against elimination by natural enemies, during the 

 season (April 1 to October 1) of 1909 on the poultry 

 range of the Maine Experimental Station. It might be 

 objected that if the eliminations by predaceous birds 

 alone could be separately recorded it would then be found 

 that against this class of enemies the barred pattern had 



