118 BEHAVIOR OF PIGEONS. 



One of these hybrids escaped from its pen early one mornihg, before feeding. It flew 

 into a large willow close by, where it remained, flying about occasionally from branch to 

 branch, until about 9 h 30 m a. m., when it came down into the yard. Finding its own pen, 

 it tried to get in. I opened one of the pens, and soon it went in and was captured. The 

 curly return was prompted by need of food and by the semidomestic instincts of its ring- 

 dove mother. Its flight was rapid, and the movement of the wings and the marking of 

 the tail made it look like a true mourning-dove. 1 (R 14.) 



HYBRID BETWEEN A MALE ECTOPISTES AND A FEMALE RING-DOVE. 



The "nest-call" is a sort of "caw" resembling that of the male parent, but very much 

 weaker. The tail is held up and slightly spread, and the head bowed, as he looks at the 

 female. In the "note of attack" the bird bristles, drops the head, shortens the neck, and 

 gives a scolding or snarling note. This is given when he flies at another dove, or when he 

 jumps to peck through the wire netting of his pen. He often flies up to the side of his pen 

 against another bird, and while the other bird merely tries to peck, making no noise, this 

 male always emits his snarl. This snarl is like that of the male parent, but the hybrid 

 gives it with markedly less vigor and shrillness than it is given by the parent. 



This hybrid has the up-and-down motion of a ring-dove, to accompany its "coo," but 

 not so pronounced as in the latter. Its "coo" is the same "caw" repeated several times 

 with the up-and-down motion. It solicits the female by offering the open beak, as a ring- 

 dove does (I have never seen Ectopistes do this) ; but it slurs this part and more often omits 

 it entirely. Often before offering the beak the hybrid bills his wing as the rings and common 

 doves nearly always do, and as Ectopistes occasionally does. 



These hybrids have thus far shown a decided mating preference for female ring-doves 

 over every other species. They give little attention to female passengers. A hybrid 

 brought into the house in January at once became amorous at sight of a female ring-dove. 

 So eager was he that he pursued her in spite of her strokes not offering to resist, but 

 simply facing the blows, spreading his tail, and jumping like a male ring-dove. 



The "call-note" is a "caw" emitted from 5 to 10 or more times in slow succession. 

 The bird sits fairly erect on the perch, with the body, head, and tail inclined a little. The 

 beak is very slightly nodded at each caw. This call-note in Ectopistes is usually emitted 

 once at a tune, and it differs very much from the shriller and louder note of attack or threat. 

 I do not now understand how it comes to pass that the hybrid emits its call so many times 

 in succession. Possibly this is a peculiarity from the ring-dove mother. The ring-dove 

 repeats its coo or call (5 to 15 times) when calling on the perch, and takes the same position. 

 This would be a curious mixture of instincts. The ring-dove often repeats the call 15 or 

 more times. 



Two of my passenger hybrids have weak voices; they are barely able to make the call- 

 note audible. They make the same call in the same way, or attempt to do so, but their 

 vocal organs are too weak or ill-constructed to enable them to vocalize strongly. (R 14). 



INSTINCTS IN ECTOPISTES RING-DOVE HYBRIDS. 



I placed a pan with earth and earthworms in a pen containing 4 hybrids and 2 adult 

 ring-doves. The four hybrids with their ages and designations, were as follows: D 2, 

 x \\ccks less 1 day old; F 2, 5 weeks less 2 days old; G 1, 4 weeks plus 2 days old; G 2, 4 

 weeks plus 2 days old. 



^ice of mourning-dove in the following section. If the reader will also further compare this account of the 



i ml behavior of (lie hybrid with my account of the behavior of the (wo parent species, he will be able to form a 



tion between the beha vior of the hybrid and that of its parents. (W. C.) (See Craig, W., 1909. 



'I'll.- Kxnn ->.,, ns of Kmotion in the Pigeons. I. The Klond Kins-dove, .Jotirn. Comp. Neurol. and Psychol., vol. 19, 

 80, and 1911. The Expressions of Emotion in (lie Pigeons. II. The Mourning-Dove, The Auk, vol. 28, pp. 

 398-407.) 



