94 MR. R. STAPLES-BROWNE ON [Feb. 18, 



Extracted Blade mated to Extracted Wliite. 



Exp. 42.— F. 2 Barb-Fantail White $ 53 x Black BF. BN 



6 45. 

 The extracted White in F. 2 of the Barb-Fantail experiments 

 was raised in Exp. 3, and has in Exp. 6 been shown to breed true 

 to white with a White Fantail. The extracted Black BF. BIST is 

 the same used in the two preceding expei'iments. Seven young 

 were produced, one of which was black without white ; the rest 

 were black showing white feathers varying in amount from a small 

 patch on the vent to a distinct mottling. In all cases, however, 

 the amount of black was in excess of the white. 



Nun-Fantail Crossbeeds, 



No crosses were made in these experiments between the Nun 

 and the Fantail. Through the kindness of Miss Thiselton-Dyer, 

 however, two $ birds were received, the result of such a cross. 

 For the purpose of comparison with the birds produced in the 

 Barb-Fantail-Nun expei-iment a description of them is given. 

 These birds were white with some black feathers in the tails. One 

 had a tail consisting of fourteen feathers of which five were black. 

 The other had eleven tail-feathers of which three were black. A 

 few of tlie upper tail-coverts were also black in each bird, but 

 beyond these the plumage was quite white. The irides were black, 

 the beak and claws white, and the eye- wattle or cere flesh-colour, 

 slightly reddish in one. In view of the recessive behaviour of the 

 white from White Fantail elsewhere, it is perhaps remarkable that 

 these birds showed so little colour. 



White Tumbler -White Fantail Cross. 



This cross was made between two white strains of difierent 

 varieties of pigeons. The Tumbler was of a white strain which 

 is described below. The Fantail used was from the strain 

 kept and already described. Only four matings were made and 

 the experiment carried to the F. 3 generation, and only thirty-six 

 birds were produced. The numbers are scarcely sufficient to give 

 any quantitative results. It was, however, found that colour 

 was produced in the F. 1 generation, and the reversionary blue 

 appeared in F. 2 in conjunction with red and white. These birds 

 are described as Tricolors. Further, in F. 3 a bh-d was obtained 

 having one blue tail-feather with the terminal black bar. 



The appearance of some coloin^ed birds from these matings 

 suggests the possibility that in the White Tumbler a dominant 

 white factor, comparable with that known in fowls, may exist.^ 



White Tumbler Pigeon. (Culbutant.) 



IsTeai-ly every variety of colour, shade, and marking existing in 

 domestic pigeons is found in the Tumbler. There are a few strains 



