DOMESTIC PIGEONS. 1ft 



Her of flight, and in some breeds the voice and disposition, 

 differ remarkably. Lastly, in certain breeds, the males and 

 females have come to differ in a slight degree from each 

 other. 



Altogether at least a score of pigeons might be chosen 

 which, if shown to an ornithologist, and he were told that 

 they were wild birds, would certainly be ranked by him as 

 well-defined species. Moreover, I do not believe that any 

 ornithologist would in this case place the English carrier, 

 the short-faced tumbler, the runt, the barb, pouter, and fan- 

 tail in the same genus ; more especially as in each of these 

 breeds several truly-inherited sub-breeds, or species, as he 

 would call them, could be shown him. 



Great as are the differences between the breeds of the 

 pigeon, I am fully convinced that the common opinion of 

 naturalists is correct, namely, that all are descended from 

 the rock-pigeon (Columba livia), including under this term 

 several geographical races or sub-species, which differ from 

 each other in the most trifling respects. As several of the 

 reasons which have led me to this belief are in some degree 

 applicable in other cases, I will here briefly give them. If 

 the several breeds are not varieties, and have not proceeded 

 from the rock-pigeon, they must have descended from at 

 least seven or eight aboriginal stocks; for it is impossible to 

 make the present domestic breeds by the crossing of any 

 lesser number ; how, for instance, could a pouter be produced 

 by crossing two breeds, unless one of the parent-stocks pos- 

 sessed the characteristic enormous crop ? The supposed 

 aboriginal stocks must all have been rock-pigeons, that is, 

 they did not breed or willingly perch on trees. But besides 

 C. livia, with its geographical sub-species, only two or three 

 other species of rock-pigeons are known ; and these have not 

 any of the characters of the domestic breeds. Hence the 

 supposed aboriginal stocks must either still exist in the 

 countries where they were originally domesticated, and yet 

 be unknown to ornithologists ; and this, considering their 

 size, habits, and remarkable characters, seems improbable ; 

 or they must have become extinct in the wild state. But 

 birds breeding on precipices, and good flyers, are unlikely 

 to be exterminated ; and the common rock-pigeon, which has 

 the same habits with the domestic breeds, has not been 

 exterminated even on several of the smaller British islets, 

 or on the shores of the Mediterranean. Hence the supposed 

 extermination of so many species having similar habits with 



