UHKKI>I\(J AMI) l\imiOKI)l\<; FOK COLOR IN SOMK DOM KSTH ' I'lCKUNS. KKJ 

 BREEDING DATA ON WILD ROCK-PIGEONS. 



Chiefly in the interest of a complete presentation of all of the breeding data 

 for the common pigeons and the related (ancestral?) forms, tables S7.\ to 87o 

 have been prepared. 



Concerning a mating (table 87 A) of a wild C. lirin with a domestic pigeon of 

 similar appearance (C. livia dom.) the author makes the following statement : 



"I notice in rock-pigeon hybrids obtained by crossing u chequered male (C.affmix, from 

 Inishbofin, Ireland) with a two-barred female (C. lir/'/i, from Dover, Kngland) that the 

 bars in the young are pale, especially the anterior bar. The same is true of these bars in t he 

 young (first feathers) of domestic pigeons. In the young of 'pure' rock-pigeons, however, 

 the bars are both 'strong black.' Besides, the gray is pure in the pure-bred: that is to say, 

 it is about the same as in the adults, while in these impure young rocks there is a decided 

 brownish tinge in the gray. 



"I infer that weak or pale bars in the first feathers is due to degeneration, the degenera- 

 tion showing itself first in the Juvenal feathers. It is certainly interesting that the pure- 

 bred rocks strike so directly into the adult color." 



For the matings of wild rock-pigeons, two-barred and chequered forms, the 

 data of the tables (87s to 87o) are not very complete. The fact that these forms 

 are usually considered to be the ancestors of the numerous races of fancy or do- 

 mestic pigeons serves, however, to give some value to these records. It will be 

 noted that the chequered rocks (C. affinis) obtained from the Cromarty ( 'aves, 

 Scotland, repeatedly threw typical offspring of the two-barred variety. 



TABLE 70. 



c? Common pigeon (red guinea-chequers); from dealer 1906 (at about 1 yr. old): has some white primaries; frilled (sec pi. S3, 

 9 Common pigeon (black guinea-chequers); from dealer 190G (sec pi. 5:5, Vol. I, also pi. 14). (Vol. I, also pi. 14). 



A 1. 7/2/08 ........................ hatched ........................ dead 7/23/OS; cause unknown. 



A 2. 7/4/08 ........................ hatched ........................ dead 7/23/08; cause unknown. 



B. 8/1 ; some development, but unhatched. 



d" C 1. 9/22 ............ (1) ............ hatched; like sire, hut more while. 



C 2. 9/24 ............ (2) ............ about sunn' amount of white as I. Iml more dark gray where it is red-brown. 



11/7 ............ (3) ............ hatched ........................ dead 1 I'll O'.i; ron.-id.-rablr white." > 



D 2. 11/9 ............ (4) ............ hatched ........................ dead I jr. l>'i: 'cim.-.iderablc white." 



,IK 1.1 hatched 2 l/15/09-(5); dead 9/5/09; 1 primary white, mostly dark as dam.' 

 \E 2. /hatched 1/15/09-(0); no white in wings, mostly dark as dam. 



F 1. 'I hatched 3/6; red; with white primaries like sire. 

 F 2. /hatched 3/7; killed; fall from nest. 



G l.lhatched 4/3. H 1.; no record. I 1 : no record . 



G 2./hatched 4/3. H 2; no record. I -': no rc.-ord. 



J 1. \hatched about, 8/17; very light; "three-fourths, or more while" (see pi. I li. 

 J 2./hatched about 8/19; very light; "three-fourths, or more, white" (see pi. 1 h. 



K 1. 6/7/10; color of black guinea mother. 

 c?K2. 6/?/10; red and white primaries, like sire. 



(Xt 



1 "D 1 (3) at the age of (>.! weeks has while primaries and whites. i.laries in each wing. Body ! .ad l>elow. 



Outer feather of each side of tail white in outer web. clear up lo the isuhterminali liar; upix-r and lower tail-covert* gray 

 anal feathers white. The wings are blackish (though the 'white apical guinea-marks' are Km. Tally increased) with r.-d- 

 brown visible everywhere. White flecks on the head and in the outer front edge of each wing; upper part of : 



large patch of white under the chin, wide above and narrowing to a rounded point on middle of low i '. iiite is thus 



everywhere symmetrically distributed on the two sides of the body. Tin- litnls from late in the season of 1908 all had much 

 white!" 



2 Only the date of hatching is known for Hies.' eggs. Knmut. 



1 This bird used as sire in the mating fully described in the t. At. p. :t.Y K 



8 



