154 Short Communications : — 



I supplied them with straw and eleven bantam's eggs. The 

 hen sat closely ; as also did the cock at times, which, I sus- 

 pect, disturbed her. One chicken, however, was hatched, 

 which they reared with most sedulous attention ; particularly 

 the cock, who called and accompanied it for some time after 

 the hen had apparently neglected it. I again put eggs to 

 them in 1831, and they both sat; but none were hatched. 

 The hen moulted badly, and drooped till January, 1832, 

 when she died ; and I then had the cock killed. It is worthy 

 of remark that these birds evinced at least as strong attach- 

 ment to the chicken which they reared as the real parent 

 would have done ; though they never showed any regard for 

 each other, as most of the hybrids, however, that I have kept 

 have done. When the chicken was about a month old, I 

 entered their place ; when they both flew at me violently, the 

 cock, especially, attempting to attack my face. 



Hybrid Dove, — In the same case with these hybrids is 

 a hybrid dove, from between a cock turtle dove and a hen 

 ringneck (the common West Indian cream-coloured species). 

 This hybrid, which is a male, has associated for three years 

 with a hen ringneck, which has laid many eggs, and regularly 

 sat on them, and been duly relieved in this office by her 

 hybrid mate, but without effect. 



Extract from the Anatomical Ttemarhs fonxiarded through 

 Mr, Leadbeater, — " In the examination of the two hybrid 

 birds which you were so kind as to send me, the following 

 appearances were observed : — One of them, which proved 

 to be a male, had the muscles of the body in a healthy, 

 plump, full condition, with very little fat in the intervening 

 cellular membrane. The muscles of the other, which was a 

 female, were extremely emaciated, of an unhealthy character, 

 and the cellular membrane loaded with fat. In the latter 

 bird, two small bodies of a dark colour were observed on 

 each side of the spine, in the situation of the ovarium : they 

 were smooth, and of a uniform appearance externally, pos- 

 sessing very few of the characters of the healthy ovarium. 

 The two oviducts reached nearly the whole length of the 

 lateral parts of the abdomen, that of the left side being the 

 longest. On making a small opening into the right oviduct, 

 and inflating it, this was found to terminate in a cut de sac 

 by the side of the rectum ; the loose abdominal extremity 

 being curved upon itself, having an aperture at the end, of 

 the size of a bristle, which allowed mercury to pass through 

 it. The abdominal extremity of the other oviduct was simi- 

 lar ; and the anal also had^ most probably terminated, like 

 them, in a blind pouch, but an opening had been accidentally 



