76 ME. R. STAPLES-BROWNE ON [Feb. 18, 



4. Dun. 



One bii-d of this type was obtained in Exp, 27. The head, 

 neck, back, rump, breast, abdomen and under parts were of a 

 uniform dark dun colour. The wing-coverts were edged with a 

 lighter shade. Wing-bars could not be distinguished. The flight- 

 feathers were lighter than the rest of the plumage. The tail- 

 feathers showed a bar of a darker shade which was conspicuous 

 on handling the bird. 



5. Beds. 



Five red bu^ls were obtained in F. 2 from Experiment 4. The 

 shade varied slightly in the different individuals, in some the 

 colour being much darker than in others. In all the rump, tail- 

 feathers, and both upper and under tail-coverts presented a 

 bluish tinge. This, however, differed in the various specimens. 

 In some there was merely a bluish-red appearance on the rump 

 and tail, in which case the tail-bar appeared to be merely an 

 aggregation of pigment ; whilst in others the rump and tail Avere 

 almost of the same colour as that already described on the " blue " 

 birds. In these latter the tail-bar was well defined and appeared 

 to be of a reddish-yellow colour. White feathers were present in 

 varying amount on all the red birds. The distribution of the 

 white corresponded with that already described for blacks and 

 blues. 



6. Whites. 



The majority of whites produced in these experiments showed 

 no signs of coloured feathers. A few, however, weie raised which 

 had a few ticks of colour on the neck or rumjD. These were 

 either black or red. Full details are given of these birds in the 

 descriptions of the matings from which they were produced. 



Details of the Several Matings. 

 Series A. 



F. 1 Generation. 



Exp. 1. — White Fantail 5 19 x Black Barb c? , no number. 

 Five young birds raised. 



Exp. 2.— Black Barb $ 7 x White Fantail c? 23. Four 

 young birds raised. 



The colour of the F. 1 generation raised from the two above 

 experiments was practically uniform. The birds were black with 

 a few white feathers which usually appeared on the rump, vent, 

 and thighs. In only one instance was there any approach to 

 mottling, and in this bird the black was greatly in excess of the 

 white. Birds raised in the two reciprocal experiments were 

 indistinguishable. 



Three matings of the F. 1 birds were made, the results of 

 which are shown in Table I. Thirty-four birds of the F. 2 

 generation were raised. 



