CHAP. I.J DOMESTIC PIGEONS. 19 



characters, as compared with all other Columbidie, though so like 

 the rock-pigeon in most respects ; the occasional re-appearance of 

 the blue colour and various black marks in all the breeds, both 

 when kept pure and when crossed ; and lastly, the mongrel off- 

 spring being perfectly fertile ; from these several reasons, taken 

 together, we may safely conclude that all our domestic breeds 

 are descended from the rock-pigeon or Columba livia with its 

 geographical sub-species. 



In favour of this view, I may add, firstly, that the wild C. livia 

 has been found capable of domestication in Europe and in India ; 

 and that it agrees in habits and in a great number of points of 

 structure with all the domestic breeds. Secondly, that, although 

 an English carrier or a short-faced tumbler differs immensely in 

 certain characters from the rock-pigeon, yet that, by comparing 

 the several sub-breeds of these two races, more especially those 

 brought from distant countries, we can make, between them and 

 the rock-pigeon, an almost perfect series ; so we can in some other 

 cases, but not with all the breeds. Thirdly, those characters 

 which are mainly distinctive of each breed are in each eminently 

 variable, for instance the wattle and length of beak of the carrier, 

 the shortness of that of the tumbler, and the number of tail-feathers 

 in the fantail ; and the explanation of this fact will be obvious 

 when we treat of Selection. Fourthly, pigeons have been watched 

 and tended with the utmost care, and loved by many people. 

 They have been domesticated for thousands of years in several 

 quarters of the world ; the earliest known record of pigeons is in 

 the fifth ^Egyptian dynasty, about 3000 B.C., as was pointed out 

 to me by Professor Lepsius ; but Mr. Birch informs me that 

 pigeons are given in a bill of fare in the previous dynasty. In 

 the time of the Romans, as we hear from Pliny, immense prices 

 were given for pigeons ; "nay, they are come to this pass, that 

 they can reckon up their pedigree and race." Pigeons were much 

 valued by Akber Khan in India, about the year 1600 ; never less 

 than 20,000 pigeons were taken with the court. "The monarchs 

 of Iran and Turan sent him some very rare birds;" and, continues 

 the courtly historian, " His Majesty by crossing the breeds, which 

 method was never practised before, has improved them astonish- 

 ingly." About this same period the Dutch were as eager about 

 pigeons as were the old Romans. The paramount importance of 

 these considerations in explaining the immense amount of varia- 

 tion which pigeons have undergone, will likewise be obvious when 

 we treat of Selection. We shall then, also, see how it is that the 

 several breeds so often have a somewhat monstrous character. It 

 is also a most favourable circumstance for the production of distinct 

 breeds, that male and female pigeons can be easily mated for life ; 

 and thus different breeds can be kept together in the same aviary. 



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