134 PREADAMITE MAN. 



is convinced that the common opinion of naturalists, accord- 

 ing to which all the breeds of pigeons are descended from the 

 rock-pigeon (columba livid) is correct including under this 

 term many geographical races or sub-species. If not varieties ; 

 if tame pigeons be not descended as assumed, then they must 

 have come from seven or eight aboriginal stocks at least. 

 Such aboriginal stocks must have all been rock-pigeons, ad- 

 verse to perching upon trees ; yet, besides the columba livia, 

 including its geographical sub-species, only two or three other 

 specimens of rock-pigeons are known ; and these do not re- 

 semble any breed of domestic birds. Proceeding on this 

 hypothesis, the aboriginal stocks must still either exist in 

 the countries in which they were originally domesticated, and 

 yet be unknown to ornithologists a most improbable con- 

 jecture or in the wild state they must have become extinct, 

 for which there is no warranty. 



In all its smaller aspects, the mutation of race-character- 

 istics is an accepted fact. Nobody doubts the ability of a 

 cattle-breeder to modify the form and outline of horned-cattle 

 and sheep, or the rabbit-fancier to perpetuate the varieties 

 originally developed through selection. It is only when the 

 theory is pressed to its extreme limits that the mind finds any 

 difficulty in its reception. So long as we speculate on the 

 changes effected on the feathers, the crops, or even the skull- 

 bones of a pigeon, or the face and limbs of an ox or a sheep ? 

 the mind is acquiescent; but when it comes to the issue of 

 assuming man to have arrived at what he is through the 

 intermediate state of some lower animal, the proposition is 

 startling, to say the least. 



There can be no room for doubt as to the general effect 

 of election or selection on species, however uncertain the 

 limits may be up to which the effect is shown. Not only do 

 the operations of the cattle-breeder and pigeon-fancier prove 

 this, but it is a conclusion that follows an a priori considera- 

 tion of the case. Thus, for the sake of illustration, if the 



