360 EwART — Variation: Germinal and Environmental. 



(3). The influence of age, seasonal condition, 6fc., of the parents on the nature of the 

 progeny. 



Crossing black barb and grey English owl pigeons first suggested that the 

 characters of the offspring depended to a certain extent on the age, maturity, &c., 

 of the parents. During early spring the owl-barb crosses were devoid of character, 

 but later in the season some of them united all the distinctive points of both breeds, 

 one, e.g., was black like the barb, with a breast frill like the owl, while later still 

 they reproduced fairly accurately the owl sire. Late in the season the "owl '' 

 suffered from some lung affection, and eventually died, leaving the barb in charge 

 of two eggs within a few days of hatching. The barb having lost interest in the 

 eggs, they were transferred to a pair of fantails and one was hatched, but again a 

 bird of an inferior type made its appearance. These results led me to make a long 

 series of experiments with the view of ascertaining whether the maturity {i.e. the 

 age) of the parents in any way determined the nature of the progeny. I first 

 discovered that pure-bred (which is, as a rule, another name for inbred) birds were, 

 owing to their great j)repotency, ill adapted for my purpose. Crosses between a 

 handsome red Jacobin and a black barb were accordingly made, and subsequently 

 mated with a turbit and other breeds. A young female Jacobin-barb, nearly 

 intermediate between its parents, was, when still quite young, placed with 

 an old male turbit. After an interval of nearly two months, the Jacobin- 

 barb laid two eggs of nearly uniform size, and eventually two hen-birds were 

 reared, one in colour exactly like the turbit, the other only differing from 

 the turbit in having a few coloured breast feathers. Both the young birds 

 were absolutely devoid of any vestige of either hood, chain, peak, or frill, 

 i.e. none of the distinctive points of either Jacobin-barb or turbit were reproduced. 

 For over a year the turbit had been continuously endeavouring, without success, 

 to rear offspring with his closely inbred granddaughter. But for this the 

 turbit might have endowed the offspring by his new mate with at least hints 

 of his special decorations.* 



The first birds reared, a second pair of eggs were laid — the hen bird being now 

 in excellent foi'm and feather. As tlie second pair of cross-bred young grew, it 

 became more and more evident they would develop a " hood" nearly as complete 

 as that of their dam. Now that they are full grown they, in their make and 

 attitudes as well as in their decorations, remotely resemble Jacobins ; while in the 

 plan of their colouring they resemble turbits. The birds of the second nest (like 

 those of the third and fourth nests) form a very striking contrast with the bii'ds of 



*It is evidently difficilt for one parent to transmit his or her specializations, unless they are of the 

 nature of highly exclusive sports, or exist in at least a latent form in the other parent. 



