CHANGES IN THE IMMUNE-RESPONSE OF THE RING DOVE (STREPTOPELIA-RISORIA) DURING INCUBATION

Changes in immune parameters following antigen administration were eva luated in non-breeding and incubating, male and female ring doves. The time course in the changes in immune parameters in response to antige n agrees closely with earlier studies on the domestic fowl. Incubating doves possessed phagocytes with increased activity, although there wa s no increase in cell number. These results suggest that in the incuba ting bird, with high levels of plasma prolactin, there is an antigen-i ndependent increase in immune cell activity but no antigen-dependent a ction on cell number. The biological significance of the changes in th e immune system during incubation awaits further study.