ON COLOUR INHERITANCE IN PIGEONS. 60] 



EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES. 



PiATE XX. 



Figs. 1, 2. Bairclia duhia. X 84. 



3, 4. Cythere crispaia. X 110. 

 5, 6. „ cingidata. X 110. 



7, 8. Cythereis deformis. X 84. 

 9, 10. Argilloeeia affinis. X 84. 



Plate XXL 



Figs. 1, 2. Loxoconcha decipiens. X 90. 



3, 4. „ ohesa. X 84. 



5, 6. ,, suhalata. X 115. 



Fig. 7. CytJierideis subiilata, var. crenidata. X 84. 



Figs. 8, 9. Paradoxostoma gracile. X 84. 

 10-13. Xestoleheris latissima. X 110. 



Plate XXII. 



Figs. 1-3. Xestoleheris nigromaculata, $ (J. X 84. 



4, 5. Cytherura crihrosa. X KiO. 



6. 7. „ maculosa. X 100. 



8, 9. „ fosstilata. . X 100. 

 Fig. 10. SclerocMlus Icevis? X 84. 

 Figs. 11, 12. Cytherella ovalis. X 100. 



28. On Colour and Colour-pattern Inlieritance in Pigeons. 

 By J. Lewis Bonhote, M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S., and F. W. 

 Smalley, F.Z.S. 



[Received February 4, 1911 : Read March 21, 1911.] 



(Plates XXUI.-XXVI.*) 



The following is a preliminary account of some experiments 

 undertaken by the authors to throw some light on the iniieritance 

 of colour and colour-pattern in Pigeons. These exjDeriments are 

 being continued, as the matter is a long and complicated one and 

 will of necessity take several j^ears to complete. 



The experiments on certaixi colours and colour-patterns, how- 

 ever, have been practically completed, and the results are briefly 

 given below. 



Apart from the practical knowledge given in bool<s on fancy 

 pigeons, no serious work has been published on the inheritance 

 of colour in Pigeons except Darwin's (Animals and Plants under 

 Domestication, vol. i. p. 197 et seq., 1868 ed.), and a recent paper 

 by Mr. Staples- Browne (P.Z. S. 1908, p. 67). 



The information in the * fancy ' books, valuable as a guidance for 

 practical breeding, is of little utility from the scientific point 

 of view, as details of pedigrees are often lacking. The work of 

 Darwin we have also had to pass over, for the present, owing to 

 the difliculty of making out with any accuracy the exact colour of 

 Lis birds from the terms he used. It is by no means intended to 

 imply inaccuracy in that most accurate of observei'S, but the 

 ' fancy ' terms for colours, though well understood by breeders, do 



* For evplanation of the Plates see p. 619. 



