ESTABLISHMENT OF WEIGHT HIERARCHIES IN THE BROODS OF HOUSE MARTINS DELICHON URBICA

Nestling birds may differ in size and weight on the first day a clutch is fully hatched, mainly because eggs within clutches hatch over a period of several days. This asynchronous pattern of hatching is usually thought to facilitate brood reduction when the food supply is unpredictably restricted. The purpose of the study reported here was to examine the contribution of egg-weight, clutch-size, hatching spread, food supply and season to weight differences in newly hatched broods of the House Martin. At laying, heavy eggs had a greater moisture and dry weight content than light eggs and immediately before hatching there was a correlation between initial egg-weight and the dry weight of embryo and yolk. Heavier clutches also tended to give rise to heavier hatchlings. There was, however, no correlation of fresh egg-weight with the dry weight of embryos alone and the relative dry weight of embryos in a clutch was dependent on laying sequence. Hatching spread (the number of days between the emergence from the egg of the first and the last hatchling of the clutch) was 0.75 ± 0.46 days for clutches of two and increased with the size of the clutch up to 1.80 ± 0.79 days for clutches of five. When food was scarce during laying, hatching spread was greater. Weight difference in newly hatched broods was correlated with hatching spread and moreover in multivariate analysis was also correlated with periods of food scarcity during laying. It was concluded that all examples of weight hierarchies among hatchlings should not be considered adaptive; in some cases they may be imposed by food scarcity. This can lead to mortality of the runs even if food is plentiful. When the weight hierarchy is not adversely accentuated by food scarcity it may function as previously suggested, to allow brood reduction. Alternatively, particularly among House Martins, it may spread out the peak food needs of individual nestlings thereby spreading the demand on the adults.     

BREEDING BIOLOGY OF HOUSE MARTINS DELICHON URBICA IN RELATION TO AERIAL INSECT ABUNDANCE

The breeding biology of House Martins nesting in artificial boxes was examined in relation to aerial insect abundance and weather. The insect food supply was continuously monitored with a suction-trap at 40 ft above ground level. Aerial insect abundance started to rise from the winter level in April and reached a high stable state in June. Insects remained abundant until September; the subsequent decline continued at least until the end of October. The size of first clutches (mean size 3.87) was correlated with the abundance of aphids in spring, though not with temperature. It is suggested that this was an adaptive response because high food levels in May were associated with high levels in the main nesting period. Clutch-size declined through the season but was not matched by changes in food abundance. Second clutches (mean size 2–95) were most frequent following a high food level in June. No correlation was found between egg-weight and preceding food conditions, nor with season, clutch-size or order of laying within clutches. If food was scarce on the day of laying of the first egg, these clutches suffered a suspension of laying of subsequent eggs. Some of the young in these nests showed a reduced growth rate. The duration of incubation (mean 14.6 ± 1.1 days) was not apparently correlated with food abundance, however it must have been potentially extended by extreme shortages because incubation duties were neglected at such times. Infertility was probably the main cause of hatching failure (14.2%). A model was used to predict the date of onset of laying. It was based on the assumption that nestling tissue was produced with the same energetic efficiency as eggs. The model indicated that House Martins could collect enough food to lay eggs earlier than the observed date in most years. The high probability of food shortage before the laying period, however, appeared to discourage laying at this time. The observed onset of laying coincided with the appearance of aphids in the air, probably because they comprised an abundant and stable food source for egg formation. Breeding generally occurred in the period of highest food abundance. Pairs rearing only a single brood each year did so in July when food levels were highest. The growth of first brood nestlings was more closely associated with food levels than any other factor investigated, while in second broods, rainfall was found to have the greatest influence. The total variance in growth explained by environmental factors in the first broods (41%) was greater than in second broods (22%). This relative independence of second broods from adverse environments probably arose from more abundant food and the feeding of some of these broods by the young of first broods. An exceptionally late brood showed an extended nestling period indicating deteriorating conditions later in the breeding season. It is proposed that the spread of laying may reflect differences in the feeding efficiency of nesting House Martins, because the growth of two early first broods was more rapid at given food levels than two late broods. Laying patterns conformed to a distribution based on a progressive threshold mechanism. The more efficient pairs may be able to attain breeding condition and lay at low levels of food abundance, and hence breed earlier in the season. Subsequent layings are facilitated by the rise in food levels in early summer. Mortality within the nest was low (5.8%) and associated with food shortage. Nestling periods (mean 30.6 ± 2.3 days) were not shown to be correlated with food abundance; they were more dependent on brood-size. Recruitment into House Martin populations is thus widely influenced by food supply, particularly through an influence on clutch-size, the occurrence of second clutches and nestling mortality.     

NESTLING SURVIVAL AND NESTLING WEIGHTS IN THE HOUSE SPARROW AND TREE SPARROW PASSER SPP. AT OXFORD

Nestling survival and nestling weights in P. domesticus and P. montanus were studied in 1961 and 1963–64 at Oxford. This paper concludes a study of factors influencing the reproductive rate. Taking all losses into account, P. domesticus reared an average of 1^.6 nestlings per brood (45%) and P. montanus 2.7 nestlings per brood (59%). About a third of all broods of both species failed completely to survive the nestling period. In P. domesticus these failures were most numerous in the middle part of the breeding season and are attributed to nutritional deficiencies derived from unsuitable food provided as a consequence of a seasonal food shortage, but in P. montanus complete brood failures occurred mostly in the second half of the nestling period and are attributed to predation. 43 broods of P. domesticus and one brood of P. montanus were weighed daily. Those of P. domesticus were classified as (1) successful broods—in these some nestlings died in the larger brood-sizes, apparently through starvation; (2) long-lived unsuccessful broods—in these the nestlings died at intervals and failure was attributed to nutritional deficiencies; and (3) short-lived unsuccessful broods. A slight decrease in the weights of nestlings in successful broods at the end of the nestling period is attributed to the utilization of insulating fat facilitated by the completion of the feather covering. Nestlings of both species left the nest at 88–89% of the adult weight. Taking all “successful” broods together, the percentage survival rates on nestling day 13¹/₂ (day of hatching = day ¹/₂) in P. domesticus were 81–82% in b/2–3, 70% in b/4 and 56% in b/5 (a situation paralleled in this respect by P. hispaniolensis), but in P. montanus they were c. 82% in all brood-sizes. Hence, in P. domesticus b/4 probably gave rise to the largest number of nestlings reared per brood, while in P. montanus most nestlings were produced by the largest brood-size. Weighings of many broods on day 13¹/₂ showed two trends in the weight of the nestlings: (1) in both species the weight of the nestling decreased as the number of survivors from each initial brood-size decreased; (2) between successive initial brood-sizes the weight of the nestling of P. domesticus decreased with increasing brood-size but in P. montanus there was no change. The losses in the larger broods of P. domesticus occurred mostly in the first half of the nestling period—apparently in association with the asynchronous hatching of the eggs and as a consequence of the limitation on the feeding frequency of the adults. Nestling survival was lowest in the larger broods in the middle of the breeding season and contrasted with the mid-season increase in mean clutch-size. It is suggested that in the study area there was a (possibly unnatural) shortage of food suitable for nestlings in the middle of the season. It is suggested that in P. domesticus the unexpectedly low feeding frequencies of the adults with large broods, apparently causing their low survival rates, may be an adaptation evolved to obtain the maximum amount of food in the presence of other adults which would be attracted to a food source by higher rates of activity. The breeding success calculated from data derived from the whole of this study was 35% for P. domesticus and 49% for P. montanus (2.9 and 3.9 nestlings per breeding pair per year respectively). It is suggested that the population of P. domesticus was much closer to a critical limiting factor, e.g. food supply, than that of P. montanus. This may account for the striking differences between the two species in their nestling survival rates and their nestling weights in relation to brood-size; in particular, the success of the larger broods of P. montanus may have been a temporary phenomenon.     

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NESTLING HEN HARRIERS

Nestling Hen Harriers Circus cyaneus in Orkney were weighed and measured during two nesting seasons. The 501 weights and 390 longest primary measurements produce a composite record of growth for this species. The general shape of both weight and primary growth curves is sigmoid. The primary feather growth can be measured at age seven and eight days after hatching and is less variable as an index of growth than is weight. The nestling period varies usually from 30 to 36 days, and age at first flight depends on the ratio of primary length to weight. Males usually fly before their heavier female siblings. The asynchronous hatching produces a size-rank between nestling Hen Harriers. The significance of the size-rank to growth and mortality is discussed. Sexual dimorphism develops at the nestling stage. Weights and measurements of males and females at different ages are tabulated. Asynchronous hatching, and the influence of latitude differences on growth rate are briefly discussed.     

DEVELOPMENT OF VOCALISATIONS IN NESTLING AND FLEDGLING HOUSE WRENS IN NATURAL POPULATIONS

ABSTRACT

We conducted a field study of the ontogeny of vocal signals in the house wren Troglodytes aedon during the nestling and fledgling phases of life. We did spectrographic analyses and quantification of the developmental changes that occurred in the acoustic features of the vocalisations. Evidence of progress to adult-like vocal patterns was of two types. First, nestling calls changed into a harsh-sounding call that resembles the adult chatter call, functionally a warning call. Second, fledglings also uttered subsong, and these vocalisations were similar to notes typical of adult male song. When the vocalisations produced by developing young were broken down into their constituent vocal features, we found that the time course of development was not strictly linear. Instead of a unidirectional change through the course of nestling and fledgling life, the trajectories of the vocal features fluctuated through time and sometimes exhibited abrupt changes. These sudden shifts occurred during nestling life as well as at the time of fledging. We speculate on the possible causes of these abrupt transitions. Changes in acoustic features upon fledging appear to be linked to new social functions.     

光照对水生动物摄食、生长和存活的影响

在水生动物生存的环境中,光是一个复杂的生态因子,它有多方面的生态作用,直接或间接地影响动物的摄食、生长和存活等。目前,光照对水生动物在这方面影响的研究尚处于资料积累阶段,本文总结这方面的研究概况,以期对这方面的工作有所帮助。       

环境因子对旋毛蟹栖拟阿脑虫（Paranophrys carcini spiralis）生长繁殖的影响

在实验室条件下观察研究培养液的浓度、盐度、ｐＨ值及环境温度对旋毛蟹栖拟阿脑虫在单因子和综合因子作用下生长繁殖的影响,结果证明：在单因子作用条件下,随着培养液浓度的增加,其虫体种群的内禀增长率（ｒｍ）随之增加,达一定浓度时则停止增加,盐度在８—５５ｇ·Ｌ－１时,虫体可繁殖生长,３５ｇ·Ｌ－１时,ｒｍ最大;温度在４—３２℃范围内可生长繁殖,２５℃时ｒｍ最大;ｐＨ为５—９时,虫体可生长繁殖,ｐＨ为７时,ｒｍ最大。综合因子作用分析表明：温度与盐度对ｒｍ的影响显著,ｐＨ值在实验范围（５—９）无显著影响。当ｐＨ＝５—９、温度２２．１℃、盐度２２．４ｇ·Ｌ－１时,旋毛蟹栖拟阿脑虫的ｒｍ最大,而盐度和温度间具明显的交互作用。     

繁殖方式对矮慈姑生长的影响

矮葱姑的种子繁殖和球茎营养繁殖对植株生物量和高度都有明显的影响。种子繁殖苗生物量的增长曲线方程不同球茎繁殖苗的生物量增长曲线方程从生物量比较可见,在生长初期。球茎繁殖苗的生物量远大于种子繁殖苗。生长过程中,种子繁殖苗的生长速率大于球茎繁殖苗。在生长后期,二者生物量接近。种子繁殖苗的高度动态方程与球茎繁殖苗的高度动态方程也不一样。种子繁殖苗和球茎繁殖苗高度的增长速率在生长的前期均高于生长后期。     

GENETIC AND MATERNAL INFLUENCES ON BRAIN AND BODY SIZE IN RANDOMBRED HOUSE MICE

Genetic and environmental (chiefly maternal) variance and covariance components were estimated for brain and body size in randombred house mice of three different ages (one, three, and five months). Heritabilities estimated from regressions of offspring on their five-month-old male parents were fairly low over all three ages, averaging about 0.2 for brain size and about 0.3 for body size. Heritability estimates from female parents were higher, however, presumably because of the influence of maternal-environmental components of variance. The total maternal impact was estimated from full-sib analyses and, for the more reliable three- and five-month ages, averaged 23% for brain size and 20% for body size. Phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations and regressions of brain and body size also were calculated by parent-offspring and sib-correlation techniques, the phenotypic correlations generally decreasing from about 0.4 at one month to 0.2 at three and five months. Genetic correlations of brain and body size estimated from covariances of offspring on male parents were negative whereas those from female parents were positive in sign, and this as well as positive maternal correlations was taken as evidence of the influence of maternal sources of covariance for these traits. It was concluded that, in addition to direct genetic effects, indirect genetic sources of variance and covariance mediated through the prenatal maternal environment are quite important in the determination of brain size and its association with body size.     

鸟类生长发育研究方面的某些进展

本文将近20年来鸟类生长发育的研究状况分4个方面作了概述。首先介绍了雏鸟体重增长的几种模型;其次概括地分析了影响鸟类生长率的几种重要因素以及雏鸟身体结构中,不同部位的生长与发育的关系;最后讨论了控制生长发育的几种假设。     

QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF SURVIVAL AND GROWTH IN IMPATIENS CAPENSIS

When variation in life-history characters is caused by many genes of small effect, then quantitative-genetic parameters may quantify constraints on rate and direction of microevolutionary change. I estimated heritabilities and genetic correlations for 16 life-history and morphological characters in two populations of Impatiens capensis, a partially self-pollinating herbaceous annual. The Madison population had little or no additive genetic variance for any of these characters, while the Milwaukee population had significant narrowsense heritabilities and genetic correlations for several traits, including adult size, which is highly correlated with fitness. All genetic correlations among fitness components were positive, hence there is no evidence for antagonistic pleiotropy among these traits. Dissimilarity of heritabilities in the two populations supports theoretical predictions that long-term changes in genetic variance-covariance patterns may occur when population sizes are small and selection is strong, as may occur in many plant species.     

长嘴百灵生长能学的研究

通过测定雏鸟气体代谢和身体组织能量积累的方法,研究了长嘴百灵（Melanocorypha maxima）在自然条件下生长期间的能量投资。最小能量投资出现在0-1日龄,为15.94千焦耳/天;最大能量投资出现在10-11日龄,为90.44千焦耳/天。雏期的总能量投资是726.79千焦耳。其中生产能是365.40千焦耳,用于维持的能是361.39千焦耳。     

环境因子对冬小麦水分利用效率的影响

对干湿两种水分处理下农田冬小麦群体水分利用效率与环境因子的关系进行分析。结果表明：（１）各环境因子以综合复杂的方式影响水分利用效率。（２）由土壤干旱和大气高蒸发势迭加而成的水分亏缺所引起的气阻阻力上升有利于提高水分利用效率,但水分亏缺同时引起的叶－气水汽压梯度增大则会降低水分利用效率。在水分亏缺最强的午后１２：００￣１６：００时,水分利用效率最低。     

DIFFERENTIAL SURVIVAL OF SEXUAL AND ASEXUAL POECILIOPSIS DURING ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS

According to the Frozen Niche-Variation model, coexisting clones of an asexual species can freeze and faithfully replicate ecologically relevant genetic variability that segregates in the sexual ancestors. The present experiments with fish of the genus Poeciliopsis provide further evidence in support of this model. Sexual and clonal forms of Poeciliopsis live in the desert streams of Sonora, Mexico, and are exposed to environmental extremes ranging from flash floods to hot, desiccating, residual pools. We examined coexisting members of the monacha complex to see whether the fish types differed with respect to survival during stress and swimming endurance in an artificial flume. The two coexisting clones of the triploid gynogenetic fish P. 2 monacha–lucida differed dramatically: clone MML/II had the best survival during heat and cold stress and the worst survival during hypoxic stress, whereas clone MML/I had the best survival during hypoxic stress and the worst during heat stress. Poeciliopsis monacha, the sexual species with which these clones coexist, had intermediate survival during heat and hypoxic stress and very poor swimming endurance in the flume. The physiological differences seen in this study are consistent with the Frozen Niche-Variation model and provide some insights into environmental factors that affect the distribution and abundance of these fish.