60 PIGEONS AND THE PIGEON FANCY ; 



array of facts toward the support of his grand and auda- 

 cious theories of animal life. His opinion that all the 

 varieties of tarne pigeons have descended from one species, 

 finds acceptance I believe with most scientists, although it 

 has not lacked warm contestants, and certainly, to super- 

 ficial observers, may well appear absurd. Those who are 

 interested in the question should read that one of the several 

 monuments of the great naturalist's patience and concen- 

 tration , "The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domes- 

 tication." The wild species assigned this post of honor 

 is the one first mentioned the Blue Rock Pigeon (Col- 

 umba livia) . This bird is very similar in appearance to that 

 variety of our common pigeon which is slaty-blue with two 

 well-defined dark bars across each wing. It is still found 

 in Great Britain, particularly along the rocky shores of 

 Scotland. Wild rock pigeons in other parts of the 

 the world, as in India and Italy, differing somewhat in 

 appearance from the British bird, are classed as the same 

 species. It is interesting to notice how often the light 

 bluish wing with the two bars appears among the fancy 

 breeds. This marking is especially common in the off- 

 spring of crosses between two varieties. 



The Blue Rock pigeon's nearest brother, and a variety 

 which required neither the cunning interference of man 

 nor long ages to produce, is the common Dove-house 

 pigeon, with which, mingled in some degree with other 

 blood, Salem and other cities are, in the words of a 

 Salem clergyman, "infested." But, if we follow Mr. 

 Darwin, we must also consider as Columba livia, birds so 

 mutually diverse as the pouter, the tumbler, and the fan- 

 tail. Our common pigeon is found all over Europe, and 

 is the kind used in the cruel shooting-matches, which 

 should be prohibited. It is so abundant that the swift- 

 ness of its flight and the general beauty of its plumage, 



