INTRODUCTION 
The problem, in poultry science and in wildlife management, of cor- 
recting or of inducing avian reproductive sterility is of great importance 
inasmuch as the ability or inability of a population of birds to repro- 
duce itself is often the limiting factor in the continuance of that 
population at levels optimal for economic use, scientific manipulation, 
population control, or even survival of species. Any consideration of 
fertility must take note of the causes of sterility. The six papers 
presented in this seminar are focused upon sterility either as repro- 
ductive failure deliberately induced, reproductive failure incidentally 
discovered, or sterility mechanisms postulated. For the most part, 
these papers are restricted to reviews of recently published findings, 
and, while not exhaustive in scope, they were prepared with a view 
toward presenting a preliminary elucidation of the breadth of subject 
area involved in reproductive failure in birds. The published literature 
is heavier in some areas than in others; however, the authors agreed to 
seek some balance between General Physiology, Genetics, Nutrition, 
Pharmacology, and Endocrinology. As the subject of avian sterility has 
hardly been opened for exploitation, the authors felt that some specula- 
tion might be virtuous; however, the temptation to extrapolate mammalian 
research was restricted to those approaches that might be most promis- 
ingly applied to avian species. 
It is appropriate, we believe, that an initial attempt to summarize 
literature on avian sterility should be made from this station, the College 
of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts, for the College is pioneering 
in avian sterility research both in the poultry science area and in the © 
wildlife management area. Among the faculty and graduate student research 
projects underway here are the following: 
1. Inheritance of fertility and hatchability in turkeys, by 
F, R. Smyth. 
2. Effects of certain organic and inorganic diluents on fertiliz- 
ing ability of turkey semen, by F. R. Smyth. 
3. The effect of mineral balance on requirements of laying chickens 
for maintenance of egg production and reproduction, by 
D. L. Anderson. 
4. Genetics and physiology of the length of the incubation period 
in the chicken, by F. R. Smyth. 
5. Effect of sperm survival time in the female reproductive 
tract on fertility and hatchability in chickens, by 
F. R. Smyth. 
