20 DOMESTIC PIGEONS, 



state of the down with which the nestling birds are clothed 

 when hatched. The shape and size of the eggs vary. The 

 manner of flight, and in some breeds the voice and disposi- 

 tion, differ remarkabl}'. Lastly, in certain breeds, the 

 males and females have come to differ in a slight degree 

 from each other. ' 



Altogether at least a score of pigeons might be chosen 

 which, "if shown to an ornithologist, and he were told that 

 they were wild birds, would certainly be ranked by him as 

 well-defined species. Moreover, I do not believe that any 

 ornithologist would in this case place the English carrier, 

 the short-faced tumbler, the runt, the barb, pouter, and 

 fantail in the same genus; more especially as in each of 

 these breeds several truly-inherited sub-breeds, or species, 

 as he would call them, could be shown him. 



Great as are the differences between the breeds of the 

 pigeon, I am fully convinced that the common opinion of 

 naturalists is correct, namely, that all are descended from 

 the rock-pigeon (Columbia livia), including under this 

 term several geographical races or sub-species, which differ 

 from each other "in the most trifling respects. As several 

 of the reasons which have led me to this belief are in some 

 degree applicable in other cases, I will here briefly give 

 them. If the several breeds are not varieties, and have 

 not proceeded from the rock-pigeon, they must have de- 

 scended from at least seven or eight aboriginal stocks; for 

 it is impossible to make the present domestic breeds by the 

 crossing of any lesser number ; how, for instance, could 

 a pouter be produced by crossing two breeds unless 

 one of the parent-stocks possessed the characteristic 

 enormous crop? The supposed aboriginal stocks must 

 all have been rock-pigeons, that is, they did not breed 

 or willingly perch on trees. But besides C. livia, with 

 its geographical sub species, only two or three other 

 species of rock-pigeons are known; and these have not any 

 of the characters of the domestic breeds. Hence the sup- 

 posed aboriginal stocks must either still exist in the coun- 

 tries where they were originally domesticated, and yet be 

 unknown to ornithologists; and this, considering their 

 size, habits and remarkable characters, seems improbable; 

 or they must have become extinct in the wild state. But 

 birds breeding on precipices, and good flyers, are unlikely 



