160 071 the Inheritance of Colour in Pigeons 



Exps. 83 and 84, in which cases the birds were mated for two years, 

 generations of only four and six young resulted. 



The sexes of Doves are not so readily distinguished as those of 

 pigeons in my experience, consequently all birds recorded in the Table 

 were dissected to ascertain the sex. It will be noticed that six birds 

 from the Turtle cross are recorded as of uncertain sex, these died when 

 quite young in the nest. 



An attempt was made to cross a dark F^ Turtle Java $ with a 

 wild Turtle j/", and sixteen eggs were laid every one of which proved 

 unfertile. No further matings of the F^'s were made. 



The experiments, all of which are recorded in Table Vlf, are 

 divided into two parts : (i) The matings of Turtle x White Java, 

 (ii) The matings of Barbary x White Java. Reciprocal matings have 

 been made in each case. The following are the descriptions of the 

 birds of the ^i generation. 



(a) Dai^k F^ Turtle Java. The upper parts, mantle, and lesser 

 wing coverts are reddish-brown somewhat resembling the young of the 

 Turtle Dove. There is a conspicuous patch of black feathers tipped 

 with white on each side of the neck. Secondary coverts bluish grey 

 tinged with brown. Primary coverts blackish tinged with grey. Rump 

 and upper tail coverts brown. Tail feathers brown tipped with white 

 except the two central ones. Throat and breast vinaceous shading to 

 blue grey on the flanks. Abdomen and under tail coverts white. The 

 red of the coverts is not so pronounced as in the Turtle Dove, and the 

 dark centres of the mantle feathers, so conspicuous in that species, 

 are entirely absent in the hybrid. (Plate X, fig. 3.) In making the 

 foregoing description I have had the kind assistance of Mr Bonhote. 



(6) White Fi Turtle Java $ s, identical with White Java Dove. 



(c) Dark F^ Barbary Java, identical with Barbary Dove. 



(d) White Fi Barbary Java, identical with White Java Dove. 

 An examination of Table VII gives us the following results : 

 White Java $ x Turtle </. (Exps. 79 — 82.) Eleven young birds 



produced which differed in no respect from the general description of 

 the dark F^ type given above. 



Turtle ? X White Java ^. (Exps. 83 and 84.) Of these two 

 matings the first is very unsatisfactory. The birds were mated for 

 two years. In the first year only two pairs of eggs were laid. From 

 the first pair two young were produced but they died four days after 

 hatching. They were not feathered but as the skins, beaks and legs 



