68 FANCY PIGEONS. 



perfect, tliat the successful breeding of them is the work of 

 clever, thoughtful men. 



*'Racc" or "Original" Pigeons. 



These high-class birds, as well as the intermediate class, 

 have been named by the Germans " race " or " original " 

 pigeons; and while many have been able to assent to the 

 blue rock theory of descent of the feather varieties, most 

 of the others are so removed from them that some writers 

 have considered them as separate creations. On this ques- 

 tion, since writing the chapter on the " Origin of Fancy 

 Pigeons," I have found, in the third edition (1876) of the 

 work of Neumeister, the German writer, the following : 

 " We shall not be very far removed from the truth in sup- 

 posing that the first beginning in forming races took place 

 by climatic influences, according to the same acting laws 

 that produced species ; but that these, by domestication, arti- 

 ficially conducted pairing, and continued breeding, in the 

 course of thousands of years were raised to the highest ex- 

 pression of race types. Original races with perfect charac- 

 teristics are not found in a free natural state ; these only 

 could be produced under the care and guardianship of man, 

 who, as their protector, is rejoiced up to the present day by 

 their fine and rare forms, pleasing manners, and symmetrical 

 arrangement of colours. But that the supposition of their 

 descent from one primitive race is justified, is proved by the 

 facility with which all the races, the common field pigeon 

 included, can pair and produce fruitful young ones, by the 

 strikingly great resemblance of their nature, and the inclina- 

 tion constantly to return to the wild blue colour and shape 

 of the field pigeon {Columha livia). The treacherous bluish 

 colouring which so frequently springs up in black, red, and 

 yellow, on certain parts (rump, vent, flights, and tail), is only 

 too well known to every attentive breeder." 



These ideas are quite in accordance with what I have ex- 



