88 FANTAILS. PECULIARITIES. [CHAP. iv. 



this case the true Fantail was a male, and the half-bred 

 of male Fantail parentage. In cross-bred Pigeons, as 

 far as my own observations have gone, the male influ- 

 ence is nearly paramount. Similar facts have also oc- 

 curred in the much larger experience of the London 

 Zoological Society, as I am assured by Mr. James Hunt, 

 their intelligent head-keeper. Eesults with the same 

 tendency have proceeded from crosses in other genera, 

 as is instanced in Lord Derby's wonderful experiment 

 with the common Colchicus and versicolor Pheasants, 

 as detailed in the December number of the Quarterly 

 Keview for 1850, by which it appears that a solitary 

 male bird may prove competent to introduce his species 

 to Great Britain, by a temporary alliance with a female 

 quite an alien to his own blood. In a letter from Mr. 

 Edward Blythe, dated Calcutta, October 8, 1850, he 

 kindly informs me, " A native friend of mine has this 

 season bred two fine Hybrids between the male Pavo 

 muticus and the common Peahen, apparently a male and 

 a female. They take much after the papa, and the male 

 should be a splendid bird when he gets his full plu- 

 mage." The same is the rule with many quadrupeds. 

 Mules are not greatly in favour with ladies and gentle- 

 men in England, and therefore the less is known about 

 them by educated people ; but the humbler class of 

 Horse and Donkey dealers will tell at once, by the ears 

 and hoofs, as well as by the temper and disposition, whe- 

 ther any Mule, offered for sale, had a Mare or a Donkey 

 for its mamma. The Mule children of the latter animal 

 are much more valuable, as they exhibit not only the form, 

 but the docility of the Horse rather than of the Ass. 



Fantails are mostly of a pure snowy white, which, 

 with their peculiar carriage, gives them some resem- 



