74 



Tlie Cockatiel breeds freely in captivity, but does 

 not exhibit any noticeable variation. It should be 

 treated like the Budgerigar, allowance being made for 

 its larger size, and it will live amicably with that 

 species. Hand-reared males will learn to talk. The 

 Cockatiel might be employed in sexual selection 

 experiments : a bird witli the crest clipped or the 

 white wing-patch stained grey being submitted to a 

 strange hen together with another male with plumage 

 intact. In sucli cases three compartments are 

 necessary, separated by wire partitions, the female 

 being placed in the centre one. This is, of course, 

 to obviate fighting between the males. The female's 

 preference may be easily demonstrated by placing 

 perches in such a position that she can sit close to 

 whichever male she prefers. The necessity for con- 

 tant observation may be done away with by placing 

 a board below these perches, in which case the accu- 

 mulation of droppings beneath the favoured perch 

 will furnish satisfactory circumstantial evidence. 

 Selection might be profitably attempted to bring out 

 the talking powers of this species. 



Cockatiels cost 12s. 6d. a pair or upwards. 



The Domestic Turtlk-Dove (7?(:r/?(;r rz^orz^s) is 

 a species of apparently ancient domestication, which 

 nevertheless has given but few varietal forms The 

 type (which closely corresponds to the wild Turtur 

 roseogriseus) is pale fawn or cream color with a black 

 half collar on the nape, and there is also a white form, 

 iisually without a collar. The sexes are alike. When 

 the fawn and white forms are crossed the inheritance 

 is usually alternative, (i.e. the young entirely resemble 

 one parent or the other) the colour of the male being 

 commonly dominant. I have, however, seen in India 

 an intermediate form which appears, sometimes at all 

 events, to result from the cross. These doves live on 

 small grain and seed, a little bread and green food 



