36 BEHAVIOR OF PIGEONS. 



Early in 1913, however, two young (4 to 8 months) ring-doves were obtained from a 

 dealer who thought them to be a male and a female. These birds, kept apart from other 

 doves, mated with each other within a month and proved to be two males. One of these 

 males during a whole season frequently and actively functioned as a female, though more 

 often attempting to copulate as male. It is doubtful, however, whether the other blond 

 ring ever actively functioned as a female in a complete copulation; usually he flew, or slipped, 

 from the perch soon after the mate mounted him. This pair incubated eggs and reared 

 young. 



Other pairings were obtained between young orientalis-alba hybrids, but in both suc- 

 cessful cases the birds soon passed into a fighting, driving stage. In one of these cases 

 either male would sometimes actively function as a female. Two other pairs were obtained, 

 the first consisting of a pure white ring male and a pure blond ring male; both were very 

 young. Both birds were seen actively to take the part of females. The second pair was 

 formed by the union of two very young birds. One was a white ring and the other was an 

 orientalis-alba hybrid. This mating has now been continued for more than 3 months. 



The following data concern the incubation behavior of two male blond ring-doves. 

 These birds have now incubated and reared two nests of young. In incubating the first 

 lot it was not noted whether the more masculine or the more feminine of the pair nested 

 mostly at night; it is known only that the more feminine one was on the nest during two 

 nights of the incubation period. During the incubation of the second lot, however, more 

 complete records were made. Here the more masculine male was on the nest during 9 

 nights and the more feminine male nested during 5 nights. For 2 nights there was no record. 

 In considering these data it is probably well to note that the more masculine of this 

 pair was nearest ready to incubate when eggs were given, and that the unnaturally func- 

 tioning male was late in getting ready (third night) for incubation; an unnaturally 

 functioning female is similarly delayed one or more days in the delivery of her eggs. 



The difference in masculinity of these two birds lies not so much in any difference in 

 their willingness to mount as in the fact that the one has almost uniformly refused to take 

 the part of the female in a completed copulation, whereas the other has readily done so. 

 This latter bird also has a wider space between the pubic bones and so was at first taken, 

 by a dealer and by myself, for a female. 



PROMISCUOUS TENDENCIES. 



The author has noted the phenomenon of "stolen matings" in numerous breed- 

 ing records, but without any discussion of it. Examples may be found in 

 manuscripts BB 9, G 19, and G 20. Naturally these matings will be found only 

 among those birds which were allowed their freedom, i.e., the common or domestic 

 pigeons. The female of a pair, during the mating period, will accept matings from 

 other males as well as from her own mate. These illicit copulations on the part 

 of a paired female were observed, but no statement was made as to whether the 

 offending male was free or paired. Probably this promiscuous tendency character- 

 ized the male also. In one manuscript (C 7/7) we find the case of a male mourning- 

 dove who regarded the author as his mate. This bird was twice confined with 

 white ring females and refused to pair with them, although both were very eager 

 to do so. This male, however, did not exhibit any hestitation in gratifying his 

 sexual impulses at every opportunity. The important fact to be noted is that 

 though fidelity is the rule, yet exceptions do occur; some tendency to promis- 

 cuity does exist. It is impossible to state whether this promiscuous tendency is 



