Chat. I. DOMESTIC TIGEONS. ,35 



more especially as in each of these breeds several truly-inher- 

 ited sub-breeds, or s2Dccies as he would have called them, could 

 be shown him. 



Great as the differences are between the breeds of pigeons, 

 I am fully convinced that the common opinion of naturalists 

 is correct, namely, that all are descended from the rock-pigeon 

 (Columba livia), including under this term several geograplii- 

 cal races or sul>specics, Avhich 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 Ijricfly give them. If the several breeds are 

 not varieties, and have not proceeded from the rock-pigeon, 

 they must have descended from at least seven or eight abori- 

 ginal 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 enonnous 

 crop? The supposed aboriginal stocks must all have been 

 rock-pigeons, that is, not breeding or willingly perching on 

 trees. But besides Columba livia, Avith 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 supposed aboriginal stocks must 

 either still exist in the countries 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 precijiices, and good fliers, are 

 unlikely 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 isiecs, 

 or on the shores of the Mediterranean. Hence the supposed 

 extermination of so many species having similar habits with 

 the rock-pigeon seems a very rash assumption. Moreover, 

 the several above-named domesticated breeds have been trans- 

 ported to all parts of tlie world, and, therefore, some of them 

 must have been carried back again into their native country; 

 but not one has ever 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 get any wild animal to 

 breed freely imder domestication : yet, on the hypothesis of tlie 

 multiple oritrin of our pigeons, it must be assumed that at least 



