THE MATING PERIOD. 7 



records. The length of this period for females of various kinds, and variously 

 mated, was given the following tests: 



On Oct. 16, 1897, 1 removed the eggs from the following four pairs: (1) a male common 

 dove and a female Japanese turtle; (2) a male archangel and a female ring-dove; (3) a 

 male hybrid between a common pigeon and a ring-dove and a female black Japanese 

 tumbler; (4) a male ring-dove and a female homer. On Oct. 23, or 7 days after the removal, 

 all of the four females laid again. Thus a Japanese turtle-dove (Turtur oriental's) a ring- 

 dove (Streptopelia risoria), a tumbler (Columba gyrans), and a homer (Columba tabellaria) 

 all took the same time. 



On June 10, 1898, the eggs were removed from four pairs which had laid between 

 June 1 and 5. The four pairs were: (1) a male mourning-dove and a female white 

 ring-dove; (2) a male mourning-dove and a female ring-dove; (3,) a male hybrid and a 

 female ring-dove; (4) a male mourning-dove and a female ring-dove. A second set of 

 eggs was produced by each of these four pairs in six days after the removal of the eggs. 

 The first egg in each case was laid at about the same hour (3 h 16 m to 5 h 05 m ) in the 

 afternoon of June 16; and the second egg at also about the same hour (7 h 50 m to 8 h 05 m ) 

 in the morning of June 18, after an interval of one day and two nights. The conditions 

 of temperature and food were here the same for all. The time required for producing 

 new eggs is sometimes only 5 days, but in colder weather it is sometimes 7 or 8 days. 1 



On June 20 I removed the eggs from the following pairs: (1) a male mourning-dove 

 and a female white ring-dove; (2) a male hybrid and a female ring-dove; (3) a male mourn- 

 ing-dove and a female blond-white hybrid; (4) two blond-white hybrids. These had 

 laid between June 16 and June 19. Eggs were produced in three cases on June 26, six 

 days after the removal. In the fourth case, the female persisted in sitting for several days 

 after the removal, and the first egg was dropped on July 2, after a 12-day interval. 



A pair of European turtle-doves (Turtur turtur) laid eggs on June 3 and 5 and the 

 young were removed on June 26. The first egg of the succeeding cycle was laid on 

 July 2, or six days after the removal of the young. (Summarized from R 19.) 



Fulton, in his Book of Pigeons, p. 37, states that: 



" Most pigeons 2 lay in from 8 to 16 days after being mated, some being what are called much 

 'freer breeders' than others. If a hen does not lay within three weeks of mating she should be 

 separated from the cock for about 8 days and then returned to him, which will usually produce 

 eggs." 



INITIATION OF THE CYCLE. 



The male usually takes the initiative in beginning the cycle, and the female 

 may succumb to his advances at once or she may resist for some time. The female 

 may also take the initiative and make advances, the male in the meantime being 

 on the defensive. Either bird may thus remain in a state of readiness for a consid- 

 erable period of time. If a pair, when ready, are prevented from mating by being 

 separated, both birds may remain in a state of readiness for a month or longer. 

 The primary sexual impulse seems to arise relatively automatically, and the suc- 

 ceeding activities of the cycle must normally await the reciprocal sexual activities 

 of the two birds. Since the primary impulse may arise at different times in a pair 

 of birds, this ability for either to remain in a state of readiness for some time is the 

 means by which the two series of activities become synchronized with each other. 



1 After breaking up a nest the birds will often start a new cycle of copulations within half an hour. EDITOR. 

 Common or "fancy" pigeons arc referred to here. The several species concerned in the preceding paragraphs 

 and studied by the author, are more popularly known as "doves" of various kinds. EDITOR. 



