HEREDITARY VARIATION 77 



puffing themselves out in this way ; and I think it is about 

 as droll a sight as you can well see to look at a cage full 

 of these pigeons puffing and blowing themselves out in 

 this ridiculous manner. 



The third kind I mentioned the Fantail is a small bird 

 with exceedingly small legs and a very small beak. It is 

 most curiously distinguished by the size and extent of its 

 tail, which, instead of containing twelve feathers, may have 

 many more, say thirty, or even more I believe there are 

 some with as many as forty-two. This bird has a curious 

 habit of spreading out the feathers of its tail in such a way 

 that they reach forward, and touch its head ; and if this 

 can be accomplished, I believe it is looked upon as a point 

 of great beauty. 



But here is the last great variety, the Tumbler ; and 

 of that great variety, one of the principal kinds, and one 

 most prized, is the specimen represented here the short- 

 faced Tumbler. Its beak is reduced to a mere nothing. 

 Just compare the beak of this one and that of the 

 first one, the Carrier I believe the orthodox com- 

 parison of the head and beak of a thoroughly well-bred 

 Tumbler is to stick an oat into a cherry, and that will give 

 you the proper relative proportions of the head and beak. 

 The feet and legs are exceedingly small, and the bird appears 

 to be quite a dwarf when placed side by side with this 

 great Carrier. 



These are differences enough in regard to their external 

 appearance ; but these differences are by no means the 

 whole or even the most important of the differences which 

 obtain between these birds. There is hardly a single 

 point of their structure which has not become more or 

 less altered ; and to give you an idea of how extensive 

 these alterations are, I have here some very good skeletons, 

 for which I am indebted to my friend Mr. Tegetmeier, a 

 great authority in these matters ; by means of which, if 

 you examine them by-and-by, you will be able to see the 

 enormous difference in their bony structures. 



I had the privilege, some time ago, of access to some 

 important MSS. of Mr. Darwin, who, I may tell you, has 

 taken very great pains and spent much valuable time 

 and attention on the investigation of these variations, and 

 getting together all the facts that bear upon them. I 

 obtained from these MSS. the following summary of the 

 differences between the domestic breeds of pigeons ; that 



