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Table 2.

Profiles for the three experimental groups of captive female eiders(corticosterone, control and `late fasters'), sampled near the end of their incubation

	Female group
	1: Corticosterone	2: Control	3: Late fasting
Before implantation
Initial clutch size (eggs)	3.71±0.18^a	3.71±0.18^a	3.43±0.53^a
Tarsus length (cm)	6.16±0.05^a	6.07±0.04^a	6.01±0.06^a
Wing length (cm)	29.19±0.24^a	29.14±0.20^a	29.29±0.18^a
Time of sampling (days)	20.29±0.29^a	19.86±0.40^a	24.86±0.40^b
Body mass at sampling (g)	1549±27^a	1571±37^a	1441±36^b
Immunoglobulin level (absorbance units)	0.70±0.06^a	0.70±0.04^a	0.82±0.07^a
[Corticosterone] (ng ml⁻¹)	18.36±3.09^a	18.35±4.45^a	13.26±1.99^a
After implantation
Time of sampling (days)	24.29±0.29^a	23.86±0.40^a	29.86±0.40^b
Body mass at sampling (g)	1315±23^a,b	1394±36^a	1285±27^b
Total body mass loss (g)	234.00±15.93^a	177.14±9.54^b	155.43±10.45^b
Immunoglobulin level (absorbance units)	0.47±0.03^a	0.52±0.04^a	0.57±0.05^a
T-cell-mediated immune response (mm)	1.00±0.13^a	1.27±0.18^a	0.47±0.08^b
[Corticosterone] (ng ml⁻¹)	111.10±18.06^a	22.33±5.29^b	16.72±2.21^b

	Female group
	1: Corticosterone	2: Control	3: Late fasting
Before implantation
Initial clutch size (eggs)	3.71±0.18^a	3.71±0.18^a	3.43±0.53^a
Tarsus length (cm)	6.16±0.05^a	6.07±0.04^a	6.01±0.06^a
Wing length (cm)	29.19±0.24^a	29.14±0.20^a	29.29±0.18^a
Time of sampling (days)	20.29±0.29^a	19.86±0.40^a	24.86±0.40^b
Body mass at sampling (g)	1549±27^a	1571±37^a	1441±36^b
Immunoglobulin level (absorbance units)	0.70±0.06^a	0.70±0.04^a	0.82±0.07^a
[Corticosterone] (ng ml⁻¹)	18.36±3.09^a	18.35±4.45^a	13.26±1.99^a
After implantation
Time of sampling (days)	24.29±0.29^a	23.86±0.40^a	29.86±0.40^b
Body mass at sampling (g)	1315±23^a,b	1394±36^a	1285±27^b
Total body mass loss (g)	234.00±15.93^a	177.14±9.54^b	155.43±10.45^b
Immunoglobulin level (absorbance units)	0.47±0.03^a	0.52±0.04^a	0.57±0.05^a
T-cell-mediated immune response (mm)	1.00±0.13^a	1.27±0.18^a	0.47±0.08^b
[Corticosterone] (ng ml⁻¹)	111.10±18.06^a	22.33±5.29^b	16.72±2.21^b

`Time of sampling' indicates incubation stage.

Values are means ± s.e.m., N=7 for each group.

Different superscript letters indicate a significant difference between groups (one-way ANOVA).

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