COLUMBID^E. 



COLUMBID^E. 



82 



bird, the back, the rump, the wings, and the throat, are of a change 

 able hue, in which are mingled rosy copper-reflections running into 

 brilliant and iridescent tints, but becoming more sombre upon the 

 great quills. The plumage of the breast, belly, vent, and tarsi are 

 pure white. The upper part of the tail is brown, slightly tinged with 

 greenish ; and below it is brown, which is deepest within and at the 

 extremity. 



mba ipadicra. 



C. dilopha. " In this curious species," gays Mr. Selby, " besides the 

 occipital crest, an ornament which is found in many other birds, there 

 w an additional one in front, composed of long recurved and lax 

 feathers, which not only occupy the forehead, but also the superior 

 part of the soft or basal portion of the bill. This double crest gives 

 the head of the pigeon a character unlike any of its congeners, and 

 more resembling that of some of the crested Phasianidce or Cracidtr, 

 with which an analogical relation is thus sustained. In other respects 





Columba dilfipha. 



H characters agree with those of C. ipadicea, the proportion of the 

 wings and the form of the feet being nearly the same. Temminck, 

 who first described it, observes, "Cette nouvelle espece a le plus de 

 rapporta dans toutes ses formes avec la Columba tpadicea, et toutes 

 les deux sent tres pen dirty-rentes de notre Kamier d'Europe." 

 AT. BIR. DIV. VOL. II. 



The size of this bird is nearly that of C. spadicea. Wings long and 

 powerful, reaching when closed beyond the middle of the tail, second, 

 third, and fourth feathers longest and nearly equal, fifth shorter than 

 the first. Bill rich orange, tip of under mandible obliquely truncated, 

 tip of upper mandible compressed, somewhat arched, culmen rounded. 

 Frontal crest beginning on the upper part of the bill immediately 

 behind the horny tip and above the nostrils, composed of long curved 

 feathers, soft and loose in texture, and bluish-gray tinged with rufous 

 in colour, pointing backwards. Occipital crest rich rufous, bounded 

 on each side from the posterior angle of the eye by a streak of glossy 

 black, decumbent, composed also of long soft feathers with open 

 barbules, each feather widening towards the tip. Side and front of 

 neck and breast pale gray, black at the base of the feathers, which is 

 hid. The feathers here are trifid at the end : 6n the back of the neck 

 they are acuminated, but not distinctly divided as upon the breast. 

 Back, scapulars, and wing-coverts deep bluish-gray, the feathers 

 darker at the margin ; quills and secondaries bluish-black ; under 

 plumage gray. Tail square, basal part and narrow band pale gray 

 tinged with reddish, tip and broad intermediate bar black ; length 

 7 inches. Naked parts of tarsi and toes crimson-red ; hind toe 

 strong, with a broad flat sole, and exceeding the tarsus in length ; 

 nails long and somewhat curved. It is found in Australia and Java. 



C. Paiumbta, the Cushat. It is the Ramier of the French ; Torquato, 

 Ghiandaria, &c., of the Italians, according to Belon ; Colombaccio, 

 Palombo, Piccione da Ghianda of the same, according to Prince Bona- 

 parte ; Ringduf wa of the ' Fauna Suecica ; ' Wild-Taube and Ringel- 

 Taube of the Germans ; Ring-Dove, Queest, and Cushat of the British ; 

 Ysguthan of the Welsh, and in Belon's opinion the Qdrra of the 

 Greeks. 



The Cushat most probably sat for the pretty picture of Virgil's 

 'aeriae palumbes.' It is considered the type of the Columbime. 

 Instances have been known of its laying in aviaries, and Mr. Selby 

 states that a pair of ring-pigeons in one of the aviaries of the 

 Zoological Gardens " built their nest in a tree or shrub contained 

 within it, and that the female laid two eggs, which unfortunately 

 were destroyed by some accident during incubation. This fact shows 

 that under favourable circumstances, and when the habits of the bird 

 are attended to, a progeny may be obtained." 



C. (Enai. It is the Palombella, Palombella di Macchia, Piccione 

 Topacchio of the Italians ; Le Pigeon Sauvage of Brisson ; Stock-Dove 

 and Wood-Pigeon of the British. Mr. Selby observes. " Near as it 

 approaches the common pigeon in size and form, no mixed breed that 

 we are aware of has ever been obtained between them, although 

 repeated attempts to effect an intercourse have been made. This in 

 our mind appears a strong and convincing proof that all the varieties 

 generally known by the name of Fancy Pigeons have originated from 

 one and the same stock, and not from crosses with other species, as 

 some have supposed, the produce of which, even could it be occa- 

 sionally .obtained, we have no doubt would prove to be barren, or 

 what are generally termed mules." 



C. lima. This the Pigeon Prive" of Belon ; Le Pigeon Domestiquo, 

 Le Biset, and Le Rocheraye, of Brisson ; Coulon, Colombo, Pigeon, 

 of the French ; Palombella, Piccione di Torre, Piccione di Rocca, of the 

 Italians; Feld-Taube, Haus-Taube, Hohl-Taube, Blau-Taube, andHoltz- 

 Taube, of the Germans ; Wild Rock-Pigeon of the British ; Colommen 

 of the Welsh is the stock from which ornithologists generally now 

 agree that the domestic pigeon and its varieties are derived. 

 " Under this species," writes Mr. Selby, " we include not only the 

 common pigeon, or inhabitant of the dove-cot, but all those numerous 

 varieties, or, as they are frequently termed, races of domesticated 

 pigeons, so highly prized, and fostered with such care and attention 

 by the amateur breeder or pigeon fancier ; for, however diversified 

 their forms, colour, or peculiarity of habit may be, we consider them 

 all as having originated from a few accidental varieties of the common 

 pigeon, and not from any cross of that bird with other species, no 

 signs or marks whatever of such being apparent in any of the nume- 

 rous varieties known to us. In fact, the greater part of them owe their 

 existence to the interference and the art of man ; for by separating 

 from the parent stock such accidental varieties as have occasionally 

 occurred, by subjecting these to captivity and domestication, and by 

 assorting them and pairing them together as fancy or caprice sug- 

 gested, he has at intervals generated all the various races and peculiar 

 varieties which it is well known when once produced may be per- 

 petuated for an indefinite period, by being kept separate from and 

 unmixed with others, or what by those interested in such pursuits 

 is usually termed ' breeding in and in.' Such also, we may add, is 

 the opinion of the most eminent naturalists as to their origin, and it 

 is strongly insisted on by M. Temtoinck in his valuable work the 

 ' Histoire Ge'ne'rale Naturelle des Pigeons.' Indeed the fact that all 

 the varieties, however much they may differ in colour, size, or other 

 particulars, if permitted, breed freely and indiscriminately with each 

 nther, and produce a progeny equally prolific, is another and a 

 convincing proof of their common and self-same origin ; for it is one 

 of those universal laws of nature, extending even to plants, and one 

 which if once set aside or not enforced would plunge all animated 

 matter into indescribable confusion, that the offspring produced by 

 the intercourse of different species, that is, distinct species, is incapable 

 of further increase. That such an intercourse may be effected is well 



o 



