DOMESTIC PIGEONS. 21 



to be exterminated; and the common rock-pigeon, which 

 has the same habits with the domestic breeds, has not been 

 exterminated even on several of the smaller British islets. 

 or on the shores of the Mediterranean. Hence the sup- 

 posed extermination of so many species having similar 

 habits with the rock-pigeon seems a very rash assumption. 

 Moreover, the seveial above-named domesticated breeds 

 have been transported to all parts of the world, and, there- 

 fore, some of them must have been carried back again into 

 their native country; but not one has become wild or feral, 

 though the dovecot-pigeon, which is the rock-pigeon in a 

 very slightly altered state, has become feral in several 

 places. Again, all recent experience shows that it is diffi- 

 cult to get wild animals to breed freely under domestica- 

 tion; yet on the hypothesis of the multiple origin of our 

 pigeons, it must be assumed that at least seven or eight 

 species were so thoroughly domesticated in ancient times 

 by half-civilized man as to be quite prolific under confine- 

 ment. 



An argument of great weight, and applicable in several 

 other cases, is, that the above-specified breeds, though 

 agreeing generally with the wild rock-pigeon in constitu- 

 tion, habits, voice, coloring, and in most parts of their 

 structure, yet are certainly highly abnormal in other parts; 

 we may look in vain through the whole great family of Col- 

 umbidae for a beak like that of the English carrier, or that 

 of the short-faced tumbler, or barb; for reversed feathers 

 like those of the Jacobin; for a crop like that of the pouter; 

 for tail-feathers like those of the fantail. Hence it must 

 be assumed, not only that half-civilized man succeeded in 

 thoroughly domesticating several species, but that he in- 

 tentionally or by chance picked out extraordinarily abnor- 

 mal species; and further, that these very species have since 

 all become extinct or unknown. So many strange contin- 

 gencies are improbable in the highest degree. 



Some facts in regard to the coloring of pigeons well de- 

 serve consideration. The rook-pigeon is of a slaty-blue, 

 with white loins; but the Indian sub-species, C. interme- 

 dia of Strickland, has this part bluish. The tail lias a ter- 

 minal dark bar, with the outer feathers externally edged at 

 the base with white. The wings have two black bars. 

 Some semi-domestic breeds, and some truly wild breeds, 



