1908.] ox INHERITANCE OF COLOUR IN PIGEONS. 67 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On the Inheritance of Colour in Domestic Pigeons, with 

 Special Reference to Reversion. By Richard Staples- 

 Browne, M.A., F.Z.S. 



[Received January 20, 1903.] 



(Plates IV.-YII.*) 



Page 



Introduction and brief statement of results 67 



The Barb Pigeon 71 



The Fantail Pigeon 72 



Tj'pes of cross-bred Barb-Fantails 74 



Series of Experiments A. (Matings in the direct line.) 76 



Series B. (Crossbreds mated to VV hites.) 81 



Discussion of aberrant results in Series B 84 



Series V> (continued) 85 



Series C. (Blues mated to Blacks.) 86 



Cross between Barb and Nun 89 



The Nun Pigeon 89 



Cross-bred birds 90 



Barb-Fantail Crossbreds mated to Barb-Xun Crossbreds 93 



Nun-Fantail Crossbreds 94 



Cross between White Tumbler and White Fantail 94 



The White Tumbler Pigeon 94 



Types of Cross-bred birds produced 95 



Details of the Matings 96 



General account of the colour of the Irides 98 



„ „ „ ;, Beaks and Claws 102 



„ „ „ „ Eye-wattles 103 



Conclusion 104 



Introduction and Brief Siatement of Results. 



Since Darwin's classical experiments on rever-sion, very little 

 inquiry has been made into the inheritance of colour in Domestic 

 Pigeons. But with the rediscovery of Mendel's work a great 

 impetus has been given to the study of cross-breeding ; and it was 

 considered that a repetition of experiments with Pigeons, in the 

 light of modern knowledge of the science of genetics, would prove 

 both interesting and instructive. 



The following account contains the description of certain 

 experiments with Pigeons, begun in 1901, which, although not 

 identical Avith the matings used by Darwin, are yet planned on 

 the lines adopted by him. Most of the pure-bred varieties used 

 are also those with which he worked. 



It will be remembered that the most striking example of 

 reversion was obtained by Darwin as follows : — He mated a black 

 Barb to a white Fantail, and also a black Barb to a red Spot, 

 which is a white pigeon with the tail and tail-coverts red, having, 

 in addition, a red spot on the forehead. He then mated together 

 the mongrel ofispring obtained from these two crosses, and from 

 this was pi-oduced a bird identical with Columha livia excepting 



* For explanation of the Plates, see p. 104. 



