190 THE ROCK-DOVE. 



the north of Africa was at that period not unfrequent, and 

 many of the domestic animals of the district had been 

 imported into this country. Shakespeare frequently 

 alludes to Barbary horses ; and in the Second Part of 

 King Henry IV. Act ii. Sc. 4, makes Falstaff say, ' He's 



no swaggerer, hostess he'll not swagger 



with a Barbary hen, if her feathers turn back with any 

 show of resistance.' This allusion was most probably to 

 a frizzled fowl. In this singular variety the feathers upon 

 the head and neck are reversed or curled, which gives the 

 hen at all times the appearance of a cock in fighting 

 attitude. Hence Shakespeare's apt allusion." 



There seems to be no doubt that all the various races 

 of the domestic pigeon are descended from a single stock, 

 namely, the wild rock-pigeon (Columba livid). A mass 

 of interesting evidence on this subject will be found 

 in Darwin's "Variation of Animals and Plants under 

 Domestication," vol. i. chap. 5. 



Frequent allusion has been made by Shakespeare to 

 the " Doves of Venus " (Lucrece, Venus and Adonis, and 

 Midsummer Nighfs Dream, Act i. Sc. i), and "Venus' 

 Pigeons " (Merchant of Venice, Act ii. Sc. 6). 



Some explanation of this is to be found in the follow- 

 ing passage from Venus and Adonis : 



" Thus weary of the world, away she (Venus) hies, 

 And yokes her silver doves ; by whose swift aid 



