A note on the inheritance of colour in one breed of pigeons—An attempt to demonstrate a mendelian type of transmission

Abstract

THE inhel~tance of feather colou," in domestic pigeons having proved so difficult to fit into any scheme, I determined, in 1914, to investigate the matter afresh, confining my energies to one breed and to a small series of colours. I am strongly of opinion that when distinct types or breeds are crossed, the results are complicated by the occurrence of reversion. The matter is obviously complex; a simple beginning was indicated. The work done completes the preliminary stage only; the onset of war, of necessity, seriously interrupted further experiments. The results are given in bare outline, but it was thought advisable to publish some details of what has been done. The breed of pigeons used is known to fanciers as the " Racing Pigeon," a variety which is being used in the present war in the Overseas Pigeon Service, and is doing useful work. This breed has been firmly established in this country, and more firmly in Belgium, for many years. Various colours are to be found, but the vast majority of the hundreds of thousands bred yearly m'e of the following colours-blue, blue chequered, red chequered and mealy. A short description of these colours is necessary. The blue birds are similar in colouring to the Columba livia, except that the ground colour is, as a rule, brighter o1" " cleaner" in appem'ance, though distinctly slaty-blue. They present, in common with Columba livia, the typical wing-ba~'s, the white (albescent) or blue croup and the tail-bar. The ground colour of the" primary and secondary wing-q~ills, and the tail-quills, is dark blue. The blue chequered birds are siihilar to the blues with the addition of chcquering. The wing-bars of the blue are mainly due to spots on the outer sides of the secondary wing feathers ; the chequering arises fi'om an extension of these spots to the