74 GROUNP OF THE RECEIVED OPINION [CHAP. in. 



occupancy of hives when prepared for them by man, im- 

 planted in them by their Creator or by nature, if the 

 term be preferred ; but, have we had much to do with it ? 

 Or, have we created any fancy breeds of Bees, in the 

 same way that we are supposed to have originated fancy 

 breeds of Pigeons? 



It is true that in all modern works on Ornithology 

 which we have read, it is taken for granted, without in- 

 quiry, as an acknowledged fact which does not admit of 

 doubt, that our Fancy Pigeons are all derived, by the 

 transmuting effects of domestication, from the Rock 

 Dove. Now no one need doubt that one of our dove- 

 house Pigeons is derived from the wild Rock Dove ; 

 but we believe that it is not generally known how iden- 

 tical they are, how closely the wild bird approaches the 

 domestic one, how much the occupant of the dovehouse 

 clings to the manners of its forefathers, and how soon 

 it is drawn off to pursue exactly their course of life. 

 Mr. Yarrell's beautiful figure of the Rock Dove might 

 be taken for a well-selected specimen of the domestic 

 race descended from it. The only self-originated va- 

 riations amongst dovehouse Pigeons that we have heard 

 of, are different depths of hue. There sometimes are 

 produced a few light blue or lavender individuals, like 

 those which occasionally occur amongst Guinea fowl ; 

 but further changes are attributable to intermixture 

 with stray tame or Fancy Pigeons. And it will be 

 seen that the combination of existing kinds is a very 

 different thing to the originating of novel breeds. 



Unfortunately, writers 011 natural history, whose 

 works it is impossible to read without pleasure and 

 admiration, have received this opinion, as a sort of sci- 

 entific heir-loom, and have transmitted it undisturbed 



