Ornithological and Other Oddities 



resembled common mongrel pigeons in colour, 

 though showing in their shape their relation- 

 ship to the dove. The third, however, was of 

 a creamy-dun shade. 



The different species of turtle-doves, though 

 distinct enough in themselves, might reasonably 

 be expected to produce fertile hybrids, and ac- 

 cordingly we find Mr. J. T. Newman has suc- 

 ceeded in getting several, including double 

 hybrids. 



Lastly, it has been recently proved by Mr. P. 

 St. M. Podmore that the female wood-pigeon 

 will produce a fertile hybrid with the domestic 

 pigeon, the hybrid cock producing young with 

 the domestic hen, although the cock wood-pigeon 

 will not do so. This singular discrepancy shows 

 how difficult it is to say positively whether any 

 hybrid is or is not fertile, and indicates the 

 importance of extended experiments in this most 

 promising field. 



