CHAP. iv.J RAPID GROWTH OF YOUNG COLUMBHXE. 109 



of naturalists may be directed to the similarity in the 

 shape and air of the head in the Fantail, the Jacobin, 

 and the Turbit, all races "with striking peculiarities of 

 feather. Turbits, if the faulty members of the family 

 are rejected, are a satisfactorily prolific race. 



The results obtained from a bird of this breed, will 

 serve as a special instance of the rapid rate of increase 

 of the young among the Columbida in general. 



On the 27th of June, 1849, a male blue Owl that had 

 mated with a female black-headed Nun, hatched one 

 chick. The second egg, being clear or unfertilised, had 

 been taken away from them some days previously. The 

 egg producing this chick had been cracked three or four 

 days before hatching, by a blow from the Owl's wing, 

 given in anger at my examining it. The chick had 

 grown much in the few hours intervening between its 

 exclusion and the time of my seeing it. It was blind, 

 and covered with long yellow, cottony down. In the 

 afternoon of the 1st of July, it first opened its eyes to 

 the light. Now the average weight of a domestic Pi- 

 geon's egg is about half an ounce ; rather more for the 

 large breeds, as Runts and Powters, and rather less for 

 the smaller ones, such as the parents of our present 

 chick. A Collared Turtle's egg weighs about a quarter 

 of an ounce. But on the 3rd of July, this little crea- 

 ture, that on the 27th of June would hardly balance a 

 half ounce weight, now weighed/oz^r ounces and a half, 

 and its feathers, or rather its feather-cases, were prick- 

 ing through its skin like a Hedgehog's spines. On the 

 4th it weighed 5 oz. 6 dr. ; of course part of that weight 

 was made up of the contents of the crop, which now 

 contained a portion of hard food. July 6th, weight 

 8i oz. ; feather-cases very long and much started, the 



