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Show 1 9 0 3 . ] JAPANESE LONG-TAILED FOWLS. 2 4 3 feathers were tied up having come undone, the feather got caught in a door and was pulled out. There was some indication that the feather was ceasing its growth, as, although the sheath was long and soft, the barbs at the base were beginning to be slightly The total length of the feather was 2 ft. 10| in., or 2 ft. 9£ in. beyond the socket. As this completes the history of the feathers of the first season, I will here give a table showing the history of the feathers which were pulled out, as it is the further history of these feathers which constitutes the most important result of my experiment. Feathers of first adult plumage in Cock B pulled out. Right side of Tail. Small lateral covert, growing............ Anterior lateral covert, nearly ceased Posterior covert, ceased ...................... Anterior lateral covert, growing ..... Anterior 1st covert, growing.............. Central rectrix, growing...................... Left side of Tail. Central rectrix, growing...................... Anterior central covert, growing ...... Anterior 2nd covert, nearly ceased .. Posterior central covert, growing...... Of these it is important to note that all but the last two sprouted again almost immediately, and continued to grow, though not very fast, till the general moult. The last two did not appear again until the month of September, that is to say in the moulting-season. It is evident, therefore, that the recrescence of a feather is influenced by the season of the year. After the moult, that is to say in winter and spring, there is a general tendency to feather-growth, and if a feather is pulled out during this time a successor at once begins to grow in its place. After the end of April, at any rate in the second year of the bird's life, the activity of feather-growth slackens or ceases, and feathers pulled out after this time are not replaced till the following moulting- period. July 31s£. Age 1 year 1 month 18 days.-Found today that Cock A had begun to moult his wing primaries: there were three or four new feathers growing, and one of them was already half its full length. Cock B was in the same condition, but had not shed so many feathers. The wing-secondaries were moulting also. Aug. kth.-Found one of the outermost short tail-coverts in Cock A growing again, the old feather having been moulted. This was the beginning of the moult in the tail-feathers. Date of Extraction. Dec. 27. Feb. 11. Feb. 17. Mar. 2. Mar. 11. Apr. 13 Feb. 15. Mar. 10. May 27. July 13. |