On the domestic Pigeons of Spain. 117 



the head : in short, on most of those pigeons is observed a 

 row of curled feathers from the lower part of the beak to the 

 bottom of the throat, which in Spanish is called repelon or 

 chorerra, and in the language of Valentia venera *. 



Besides, the pigeons of this sub-division are not the most 

 fruitful, nor the strongest in flight ; they are, however, ex- 

 cellent hatchers, and always preserve their original beauty. 



The pigeons of classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, of this sub-division 

 have never more than two colours, one of which extends 

 over the whole body, and the other only upon the twelve 

 feathers of the tail. Those of classes 6 and 7 have, on the 

 contrary, different colours : white always on the tail ; brown 

 or blackish on the wings ; blueish green upon the throat, 

 head, and neck ; and gray or ash-coloured on the other parts 

 of the body. The pigeons of the second sub-division of the 

 first division have uniformly the head lengthened without 

 any tuft. They have only the row of curled feathers to the 

 bottom of the neck : otherwise they resemble those of the 

 first sub-division. 



The particular character of this sub-division consists not 

 only in the large feathers of the wings, which are of a dif- 

 ferent colour from those of the body, but principally in the 

 determinate number of those feathers j that is to say, three 

 in one wing, and two in the other. 



Pigeons are sometimes found of this sub -division which 

 have only two large feathers in each wing, and which, on 

 account of their scarcity, are highly esteemed. 



As to the pigeons of the third sub-division in the first di- 

 vision, they have always fifteen white feathers in the wings; 

 that is to say, seven in one wipg, and eight in the other. 

 If, however, there should some be found with more, which 

 is what very seldom happens ; for instance, eight in one 

 wing and nine in the other, they are held in the highest 

 estimation +. They are a little smaller than those of the 



preceding 



• Liunxus has formed a particular class of pigeons, which he lias designed 

 under the denominations of columla cucuUota and inlnmia titriita\ but I have 

 every reason for departing from hi6 opinion, because the characters which 

 he assigns them are not exclusive. — Note of the French Editor. 



f This observation upon the difference of the number of feathers which 

 II 13 compose 



