Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-12
SECRET Of SEX
CONTROL FOUND.
SAVANT CLAIMS
Scientist Tells Results of Re-
markable Experiments Made
Upon Animals.

NEW YORK, April 1l-Remsrk
able achievements in the control Of
sex OF animals in experiments at the
Carnegie Laboratory at Cold Spring
Harbor, l. J., were described last
night by Dr. Oscar Riddle of the Cold
Spring Harbor experimental station.
Or. Riddle lectured under the auspices
Of the Feminist Forum Of Columbia
University in Earl Hall. The most
important part OF his own expert
ments as described by him had TO DO
with sex control Of pigeons and doves
Professor James Harvey Robinson.
Of the history department Of Coluln
bin. as chairman Of the meeting am
nounced that II was called to discuss
The natural changing Of woman to
meet changed conditions OF environ
ment. and the question whether wom-
an was biologically 80 different from
man that manlike ideals were mac
cessible 10 her because Of her very
nature. Dr. Riddle however pre-
ferred TO speak about pigeons and
doves, COWS and sheep. He did not
mention woman suffrage.
Experiments With Bees.
"Our knowledge Of the essential
nature of the laws of sex has in
creased by leaps and bounds through
biological Investigations" he said.
I'VE find that human beings are not
masculine to the absolute exclusion of
the feminine, nor feminine 10 the eX-
clusion of the masculine We find
that the male is female plus some
thing more
The egg Of honey bee, if left
alone he said, produced male drone;
II fortified, it produced a female bee;
II fed on royal food a queen bee,
Or Riddle told of frog eggs al
lowed 10 overmature and then ferti-
lized with male sperm. and said they
produced males. while similar eggs,
fortified without allowing them TO
oVermaturc. produced so per cent fe-
males BY drawing Off water from
ofals eggs, he added Sc to 80 per cent
females had been produced where
otherwise the males predOminated.
Results Show in Cows.
Similar good cases OF sex control
had been achieved, he said, in the
case of cattle: A cows egg (not in
the lay Leghorn or Plymouth Rock
sense OF he term fortified early
q fter II was loosed, was found likely
to produce female. while In the same
egg were fertilized only twelve hours
after Il was loOsed. IL was likely 70
produce a male. Sheep eggs fertil-
ICED in October were found 20 pro-
duce great predominance of females,
while in November the predOminance
was male.
Describing experiments of Profess
sor Whitman and himself with pig
cons he said
q 4 4 ~
pigeon with a cOnsort of a very dis
family related species. we would get
only males; II with consort OF a
species not so distantly related. males
at first. both males and females In
the middle OF the season, and nearly
Oh females at the end OF the season.
At the extreme end Of the season,
however. the eggs, while female,
would not hatch and some would not
even develop into an embryo at all
It was then that Professor Whitman
concluded that the male was female
plus something
Colorins Tested.
"ln the second year the same birds
produced fewer males and more fe-
nsles. Later. when the birds We're
older and not at the height OF their
reproductive power. they would pro-
cuce females Where there were two
eggs from one clutch. We usually
found the second egg larger. the in
crease being associated with an IN
creased tendency 10 produce females,
and tine amount of energy increased
in female eggs The water content OF
the first eggs az the beginning 81 the
season was much higher than at the
end OF the season, the higher water
al Il.