EXPERIMENTAL DEMONSTRATION OF A POST-NUPTIAL REFRACTORY PERIOD IN THE TURTLE DOVE STREPTOPELIA TURTUR

摘要: Summary Turtle Doves Streptopeliu turtur are shown to possess a typical post-nuptial period of pituitary refractoriness; during this time the neuro-endocrine apparatus is unresponsive daylengths which at other seasons would result in gonad recrudescence. Males and females were collected late summer when their gonads regressing. Subjects then held for 2.5 months on either 8-hour or 17-hour photoperiods by end had become uniformly fully regressed inactive. All males given 3–5 six exposure photoperiods. Only subjects pretreated with short days responded gametogenesis. All (males females) moulting caught addition laid down heavy deposits migratory fat half-way stage experiment. However, further feather growth was inhibited those birds kept throughout long maintained. In contrast, treatment enabled subsequent completion moult new loss coincident development. The results contrast obtained previous experiments (Lofts, Murton & Westwood 1967) Woodpigeon, lacks refractory period. The reasons inter-specific differences discussed some endocrinological implications considered.