178 DOMESTIC PIGEONS : Chap. V. 



beak longer by *23 of an inch, whilst its tongue was shorter 

 by *14 than in the other. 



"With the increased or diminished length of the beak the 

 length of the slit forming the external orifice of the nostrils 

 varies, but not in due proportion, for, taking the rock-pigeon 

 as the standard, the orifice in a Short-faced Tumbler was not 

 shortened in due proportion with its very short beak. On 

 the other hand (and this could not have been anticipated), 

 the orifice in three English Carriers, in the Bagadotten 

 Carrier, and in a Runt (pigeon cygne), was longer by above 

 the tenth of an inch than would follow from the length of 

 the beak proportionally with that of the rock-pigeon. In 

 one Carrier the orifice of the nostrils was thrice as long as in 

 the rock-pigeon, though in body and length of beak this bird 

 was not nearly double the size of the rock-pigeon. This 

 greatly increased length of the orifice of the nostrils seems to 

 stand partly in correlation with the enlargement of the 

 wattled skin on the upper mandible and over the nostrils ; 

 and this is a character which is selected by fanciers. So 

 again, the broad, naked, and wattled skin round the eyes of 

 Carriers and Barbs is a selected character; and in obvious 

 correlation with this, the eyelids, measured longitudinally, 

 are proportionally more than double the length of those ol 

 the rock-pigeon. 



The great diiference (see woodcut No. 27) in the curvature 

 of the lower jaw in the rock-pigeon, the Tumbler, and Baga- 

 dotten Carrior, stands in obvious relation to the curvature of 

 the upper jaw, and more especially to the angle formed bv 

 the maxillo-jugal arch with the premaxillary bones. But in 

 Carriers, Runts, and Barbs the singular reflexion of the upper 

 margin of the middle part of the lower jaw (see woodcut 

 No. 25) is not strictly correlated with the width or divergence 

 (as may be clearly seen in woodcut No. 26) of the premaxillary 

 bones, but with the breadth of the horny and soft parts of the 

 upper mandible, which are always overlapped by the edges of 

 the lower mandible. 



In Pouters, the elongation of the body is a selected cha- 

 racter, and the ribs, as we have seen, have generally become 

 very broad, with the seventh pair furnished with processes ; the 



