102 THE PERPETUATION OF LIVING BEINGS, 



humility and hesitation, as I regret to say that I am 

 not a pigeon fancier. I know it is a great art and 

 mystery, and a thing upon which a man must not 

 speak lightly; but I shall endeavour, as far as my 

 understanding goes, to give you a summary of the 

 published and unpublished information which I have 

 gained from Mr. Darwin. 



Among the enormous variety, — I believe there are 

 somewhere about a hundred and fifty kinds of 

 pigeons, — there are four kinds which may be selected 

 as representing the extremest divergences of one kind 

 from another. Their names are the Carrier, the Pouter, 

 the Fantail, and the Tumbler. In these large diagrams 

 that I have here they are each represented in their 

 relative sizes to each other. This first one is the Car- 

 rier ; 3'ou will notice this large excrescence on its beak ; 

 it has a comparatively small head ; there is a bare space 

 round the eyes ; it has a long neck, a very long beak, 

 very strong legs, large feet, long Avings, and so on. 

 The second one is the Pouter, a very large bird, with 

 very long legs and beak. It is called the Pouter 

 because it is in the habit of causing its gullet to swell 

 up by inflating it with air. I should tell you that all 

 pigeons have a tendency to do this at times, but in the 

 Pouter it is carried to an enormous extent. The birds 

 appear to be quite proud of their power of swelling and 

 puffing themselves out in this way ; and I think it is 

 about as droll a sight as you can well see to look at a 

 cage full of these pigeons puffing and blowing them- 

 selves out in this ridiculous manner. 



This diagram is a representation of the third kind 



