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Show 1 9 0 3 .] JAPANESE LONG-TAILED FOWLS. 2 4 7 from the Gardens. The new feathers in A had grown no faster than the new feathers in B, in fact they were not quite so long. The longest feather in B hung about 2 ft. 3 in. from the perch, and all four of the|long feathers were still growing. In Cock A, none of the feathers touched the ground yet. Dec. 9iJi.-Another of the feathers in Cock B pulled out today, namely, the central anterior covert on the left side. The loss was due to accident when the bird was free, not to manipulation. Since this date I had kept Cock B tied up nearly every day in a separate house, to prevent any more accidents. The feathers that wer e pulled out were all sprouting again, and there were three long feathers still growing, namely, the right central rectrix, one of the posterior coverts on the right side, and the third anterior covert on the same side. The first two were about the same length, that is about 2 ft. 6 in. In Cock A, the 3rd pair of rectrices had ceased to grow, and were a little longer than the outer rectrices. The 2nd pair of rectrices were still growing, and were not much longer than the 3rd pair. The central pair were growing, and were only about 4 inches long. The tail-coverts were growing, but still very short. In Cock B, the 2nd pair of rectrices were growing, and about 9 inches long; the 3rd rectrix on the light side had ceased to grow, and the basal sheath was peeling off, the corresponding feather on the left side was still growing. Dec. 2\st.-The third anterior covert on l ight side, which was pulled out last spring and grew again, appeared to have almost come to the end of its growth : the basal barbs were downy, and the sheath at the base had almost all peeled oft'. I had not pulled it out. History of Feathers of Second Growth in Cock B, to Dec. 28, 1902. Right side of Tail. 1st Anterior Covert : the preceding feather was accidentally pulled out while growing on March lltli, when it was 1 ft. 8 in. long. It was accidentally pulled out a second time while growing on August 24tli, when it was 1 ft. 1^ in. long. A successor immediately sprouted in its place. 4th Anterior Covert: stopped growing, and formed a complete quill a little before October 22nd, on which date it was purposely pulled out, and its successor sprouted in its place: it was not measured. Originally pulled out December 27th, 1901, when it was 1 ft. 2 in. long. 2nd Anterior Covert: preceding feather pulled out March 2nd when 1 ft. 4| in. long: accidentally pulled out again while growing on November 17th (1 ft. 9g in. long), and its successor sprouted in its place. 3rd Anterior Covert: predecessor pulled out February 11th, when |
