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capable of fully describing, and therefore, I must beg those that know of any varieties, 

 that I have omitted, to give a description of them '? The extinct Dodo belonged, I 

 believe, to this class of birds, as it has been called by some naturalists, a wingless Dove : 

 other curious varieties of this vast class are to be met with, as the Columba Coronata, 

 or large crowned blue Pigeon of the Moluccas, having a large fine-shaped crown or 

 crest on its head. The Crested Turtle has a pendant crest, hanging from the back of 

 the head, in shape like that of the Pewits or Lapwings. A friend informed me he once 

 saw a pair of web-footed Pigeons in Leadenhall Market, but being pressed for time, he 

 did not stay to examine them closely, and when he afterwards returned, with the in- 

 tention of purchasing them, they were gone, and all the information he could gain was, 

 that they had been brought home by some sailor ; I have also heard of Swallow Tailed 

 Pigeons, but like the preceding, I know little more of them. 



392. Australia bounds in many varieties of Pigeons or Doves, among which, are the 

 large Wonga Wonga. A G-reen Pigeon and the Bronze-wing, which last, I have been 

 informed, has been domesticated in that country, and I know no reason why some few 

 of the numerous wUd Pigeons of other countries, should not be capable of domestication, 

 but I think such as nestle on the ground or among rocks, would most likely be more 

 capable of domestication, than such as are arboreal, or build their nests in trees. 



393. The Passenger Pigeon of America is there met with in countless numbers, and 

 I have been informed, that they too have been domesticated, while other writers assert 

 them to be intractable. 



394. The only instance I know of arboreal Doves being allowed their liberty, without 

 abusing it, is in the case of the Collared Turtles, the common cage Dove, of a light 

 fawn colour, with a black ring round the neck. 



395. Yet I am not willing to suppose, that all our varieties of tame Pigeons are 

 originally of one stock, neither do I think it possible, to trace all to the Rock Pigeon 

 and Dove-house combined, which are the most probable ancestors, at least, of many of 

 the Toys. 



396. To enumerate the varieties I have already described, they are as follows : first, 

 the two originals, or at least the breeds, still to be found in a state of nature, in this 

 country. The Blue Rock, and Chequered Dove-house Pigeon. Secondly the sagacious 

 and flying birds, as the English Carrier, Horseman, Dragoon, Antwerp Carrier, and 

 Tumblers. Thirdly, Runts, or domesticated Giant Pigeons, the most familiar of which 

 are, the Leghorn, Roman, and Spanish, but there are many others. Fourthly, the 

 Fancy Pigeons, as Short Faced Tumblers, Powters, Fantails, Jacobins, Trumpeters, 

 Laughers, Barbs, Turbits, Owls, Finnikins or Smiters, Mahomets, Lace or Silky Pigeons, 

 and Frillbacks ; and lastly, the Toys, properly so called, having but one property, 

 namely feather, as the Suabian, and other spangled Pigeons, the Nun, Priest, Monk, 

 Archangel or Bullfinch, White Archangel, Stomacher, Spot, White Spot, Starling 

 Breasted, Swiss, Ice, Stock Dove or Wild Blue Pigeon, Stork, Tern or Sea Swallow, 

 Magpie, Helmet, Shield, and Gull Pigeon, in all forty-two varieties, without enumerating 

 their sub- varieties, of which few have less than four, and some a great many more, 

 perhaps the Tumbler has the greatest number of sub-varieties, colours, or divisions of 

 colour, which would exceed fifty, without including the foreign varieties of this breed. 



397. The common flying Pigeons of this country are the Skinnums, bred mostly from 

 a common Tumbler and Dragoon, but others are crossed with the Dove-house, Antwerp, 

 &c., their only value is their sharp flying ; for they cannot be considered as a breed. In 

 France what they call " Voyageurs," are mostly a mixture of Tumbler and Dove-house, 

 and are generally some mixture of white and red in colour, they are good breeders, but 

 of little other value. Belgium too, abounds with this nondescript kind of flying Pigeon, 

 and also crossed with the Owl Pigeon, and such are often sold as true Antwerps. 



398. The common mixtures of Mongrels are too common to need a description, and 

 too various to make one possible, they are made up of crosses of various kinds, and 

 their only value is as food, for if properly attended to, to prevent their being too nu- 

 merous for their accommodations, and the superabundant males destroyed, they will be 

 found very productive. 



399. I shall now conclude my papers on Pigeons for the present, hoping that I have 

 at least given some little information to the readers of the "Poultry Chronicle," and 



