98 MR. R. STAPLES-BROWNE ON [Feb. 18^ 



F. 3 Generation. 



Exp. 45. — F. 2 White with few coloured feathers $ 13 



X F. 2 White with few coloured feathers c? 15. 



These birds, raised in Exp. 44 and described above, produced 

 nine offspring when mated together, four of which were white, 

 and five white with some coloured feathers. Of those in the 

 latter class four showed a few red feathers on the back of the 

 neck, and in one instance on the left scapular. JSTo black or blue 

 feathers were seen on these birds. The fifth (E^o. 112), however, 

 had no coloured feathers on the neck, but on the right wing- 

 coverts was a large patch of feathers tinged red and edged with 

 black, also one tail-feather blue with a terminal bar, the rest of 

 the tail and plumage being white. 



Exp. 46.— F. 2 Tricolor $ 7 x F. 2 Tricolor S 8. 



These two birds raised in Exp. 44, and of the type described, 

 produced eight offspring, three of which were white and five 

 tricolors. The details of four of the tricolors approximate closely 

 to the type. In two of them blue was present on the breast^ 

 flanks, and rump. On one it was present on the flanks only, and 

 in another there were only slight indications of blue on the rump. 

 In the bird showing most blue there was a slight blue tinge 

 on some of the tail-feathers. The fifth coloured bird (ISTo. 9), 

 produced from this mating, showed, in addition to the typical red 

 on the neck and breast, a large amount of bluish-black colour. 

 The left scapulars and proximal wing-coverts were light reddish 

 feathers edged with black, and blue feathers chequered with black 

 were interspersed among them. The right scapulars were blue 

 chequered witli black. The remainder of the j)lumage, including 

 the under parts, was white with the exception of a single blue 

 feather on the rump. 



Irides. 



The irides of pigeons are chiefly of three colours, white, orange,, 

 and black. On each the blood-vessels of the iris can be seen 

 very distinctly and, in some cases, give a very well-marked red 

 appearance most noticeable at the periphery. 



The white, or, as it is called by fanciers, the " pearl " eye breeds 

 true in many varieties of pigeons, but in some it is apt to throw 

 orange- and black-eyed birds. The latter is stated to be more 

 easily " bred out " fi'om a strain than the former. The orange 

 iris is found in Columba livia, and appears to breed true in 

 several fancy varieties. The black iris (termed by fanciers 

 "hazel" or "bull" eye, which is, more correctly speaking, a 

 brownish- black), seems to breed true invariably. In the nest the 

 irides of all the young pigeons examined were black, but in birds 

 in which this was not the eye-colour of the adult, the colour 



