OTHER INSTINCTS. 147 



Wildness is often communicated by example. A single wild dove among a dozen 

 tame ones will often turn them all wild, just as a tame dove will often help in taming wild 

 ones. 



At Woods Hole I have mated blond rings with dove-cote pigeons, have allowed them 

 to go entirely free, and have not lost one of them. The only difference between them and 

 the common pigeon is that they delight to go into trees, and if they get frightened they 

 go to some tree; the common pigeon avoids trees and alights on the roof of some building. 

 It is extremely interesting to note the behavior of the male domestic pigeons which I had 

 mated with these birds. The male takes a very jealous interest in his mate and follows 

 her wherever she goes. The moment she flies from the perch he is after her. But the ring- 

 dove is sw r ift of wing and sometimes gets out of sight. On such occasions the male is very 

 anxious and flies about in search calls, and flies and looks. Usually, if the ring flies away 

 some distance, she comes back to the place she has left, and then the mate is ready to meet 

 her. From her mate she "learns" to take up her quarters inside in the dove-cote. If 

 both of the pair are blond rings and they are set free, they prefer to roost outside. It is 

 only when mated with the dove-cote pigeon that they will roost inside. Sometimes they 

 will then go outside; as a rule they will follow their mates. Sometimes I have observed 

 that the dove-cote pigeon has "learned" to fly into trees. 



ILLUSTRATIONS OF VARIATION OF HABITS AND INSTINCTS INDUCED AND SPONTANEOUS. 



A female ring-dove learns from a male crested pigeon to sit in close contact on the 

 roost at night. A female ring-dove learns from a male common dove to roost inside the 

 dove-house rather than outside, and to go in for shelter from the rain. A male fantail 

 broods the young at night. A male white ring-dove sat on the egg the first night after it 

 was laid. A young hybrid fed a companion of the same age. A male passenger-pigeon sat 

 regularly of nights on the eggs, while the female sat on the edge of the box. A pair of 

 cresteds repeatedly laid sets of eggs before the previous set hatched, so that they had 4 

 eggs to sit upon. A female G. humeralis mated with a ring-dove does not flee from him 

 after a union, as she does from a mate of her own species. Her difference of action is due 

 to the different behavior on the part of the male. The male ring-dove allows himself at 

 this time to be fondled by the female and she expresses her joy by so doing. The male 

 Geopelia, on the contrary, bristles up in a most savage manner, repels her love, and 

 drives her off, acting as if his pleasure had turned to displeasure and nausea. 



DOMESTICATION OF AFRICAN GUINEA-PIGEON. 



A young guinea-pigeon (C. guinea) was hatched under a pair of pouters in April, 1909. 

 It was transferred when 5 days old to a pair of owl pigeons. It came out of its cot when 

 29 days old, and flew to the ground into the back yard with one of the owls. I allowed him to 

 go free and he continued to return to his cot and to go inside at night. I removed one 

 of the owls on the same day the young guinea came out, in order that the other owl might 

 give full attention to the young guinea; this he did, and all went well. 13 days later the 

 young guinea went into his cot as usual, but he was alone, as I found next morning, the 

 owl having been accidentally shut into the barn and thus prevented from returning to 

 the cot. At 6 o'clock, the next morning I was unable to find the young guinea anywhere. 

 He had probably left his cot early that day in search of the owl, which had continued to 

 feed the young bird in part. Not finding his foster-father, he probably flew off in company 

 with some passing stranger, mistaken for the owl. At any rate, the guinea-pigeon was 

 not to be found, and as he did not return at night I concluded that I should probably 

 never see him again. 



All of the following day I kept on watch, but the lost bird did not appear until between 

 5 and 6 p. m. When I came home at about 6 p. m., however, the young guinea was sit- 



