CHAI-. I.] DOMESTIC PIGEONS. 17 



above-named domesticated breeds have been transported to aU 

 parts of the world, and, therefore, 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 difficult to 

 ^ret wild animals to breed freely under domestication ; 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 -civilised man, as to be quite prolific under 

 confinement. 



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 constitution, habits, voice, colouring, 

 and in most parts of their structure, yet are certainly highly abnor- 

 mal in other parts ; we may look in vain through the whole great 

 family of Columbidae 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-civilised man succeeded in thoroughly domesti- 

 cating several species, but that he intentionally or by chance picked 

 out extraordinarily abnormal species ; and further, that these very 

 species have since all become extinct or unknown. So many strange 

 contingencies are improbable in the highest degree. 



Some facts in regard to the colouring of pigeons well deserve 

 consideration. The rock-pigeon is of a slaty -blue, with white loins ; 

 but the Indian sub-species, C. intermedia of Strickland, has this 

 part bluish. The tail has a terminal dark bar, with the outer 

 feathers xternally edged at the base with white. The wings have 

 two black bars. Some semi-domestic breeds, and some truly wild 

 breeds, have, besides the two black bars, the wings chequered with 

 black. These several marks do not occur together in any other 

 species of the whole family. Now, in every one of the domestic 

 breeds, taking thoroughly well-bred birds, all the above marks, 

 even to the white edging of the outer tail-feathers, sometimes 

 concur perfectly developed. Moreover, when birds belonging to 

 two or more distinct breeds are crossed, none of which are blue or 

 have any of the above-specified marks, the mongrel offspring are 

 very apt suddenly to acquire these characters. To give one instance 

 out of several which I have observed : I crossed some white 

 fantails, which breed very true, with some black barbs and it so 

 happens that blue varieties of barbs are so rare that I never heard 

 of an instance in England ; and the mongrels were black, brown, 

 and mottled. I also crossed a barb with a spot, which is a white 

 bird with a red tail and red spot on the forehead, and which 



