Hybrid Doves, Etc. 5 



In 1914 I mated this young" grey male to a common 

 Barl)ary hen, my net resuh being two youngsterSi one grey and 

 one fawn ; these were indistinguishable from the type of the 

 true Barbary, in every way. 



In 191 5 I bred one grey only. In 1916 only one light 

 or fawn coloured dove was bred, and in 1917-18, owing to the 

 war, no birds were bred. I simply retained all the stock I 

 could, and when the war ended I was left with one grey male 

 cind two fawn (grey-bred) birds — a male and a female. 



In 1919 the grey male was mated to the above female, 

 and they produced and fully reared four youngsters, two being 

 grey males, one grey female, and one fawn male. The male 

 parent of these birds was hatched in 191 5, and was a lovely 

 specimen both in form and colour. On August nth, 1919; 

 I found him dead. 



I had no result in 1920, owing no doubt to my pairing one 

 ol the 1919-bred grey males to his nest sister, and the other grey 

 male to the fawn mother; they were evidently too closely related. 



In 1921 two greys and one fawn dove were fully reared, 

 the result of mating the 1919 grey males to two hen Barbary 

 Doves; one of these grey youngsters died in the moult, the 

 other grey turned out to be a female, and the fawn-coloured 

 lird a male. The 1919 grey hen mated to the 1919-bred fawn- 

 coloured male; two lots of eggs were laid, but were all infertile, 

 again evidently too closely related although strong, healthy 

 looking specimens. This grey hen was killed by a pigeon in 1921. 



This year (1922) I mated the grey 1921-bred hen to a 

 grey 1919-bred male, but although several clutches of eggs were 

 laid, none proved fertile. The other grey 1919-bred male I 

 again mated, as in 1921, to his Barbary mate, and they produced 

 and fully reared two fawns only. This grey male mated with 

 an odd hen Turtle dove penned in the same aviary, and one egg 

 out of the clutch hatched, but unfortunately died when about 

 three days old. Last night, December 29th, a rat got into this 

 aviary, and although there were three fawns there (the Barbary 

 hen and two young) he must needs select and kill the grey male, 

 c'ind leave the remains in one corner. However, when the 

 brute returns to finish his repast I am hopeful that the cold, 



