1% Feather's Practical Pigeon Book 



across the tail. This type of pigeon is so often seen 

 among our flocks of domestic pigeons that there will be 

 no difficulty in recognizing it and proving its claim as 

 one of the ancestors of our domestic flocks at least. 



The Dove House Pigeon {Columba AiHnis) is another 

 wild variety of pigeon peculiar to all parts of the Old 

 World, and supposed by many to be the true progenitor 

 of our whole family bf domestic pigeons. Like the 

 Blue Rock, it frequents rocks, cliffs, and caverns, but 

 is more susceptible of domestication than the true Rock. 

 It is a trifle larger in size and differs from it somewhat 

 in color, being a trifle darker and with wing-coverts 

 chequered or dappled ; in other respects it is the counter- 

 part of the other. It is also said to be more prolific than 

 the Blue Rock, and, if taken young, easily tamed and 

 domesticated, and does not retain the wild, suspicious 

 nature of the Blue Rock. But while this variety in its 

 instincts and habits seems to have good grounds on 

 which to base its right to be called the originator of all 

 our fancy breeds, there is no evidence to prove that it 

 may not have derived its own origin as claimed by Dar- 

 win, from the Blue Rock. This, however, is a question 

 I am not inclined to argue, as its settlement can not 

 affect the status of the pigeon as we know it to-day. 



Admitting, as scientific research seems to prove, that 

 these two varieties of wild pigeons are the source from 

 _ which all our common and fancy pigeons sprung, it 

 seems strange that we see none of the variations in form 

 and shape to-day among our common flocks that must 

 some time have formed a basis from which to breed 

 such birds as the Carrier, the Pouter, the Jacobin, and 

 the host of feathered beauties we now know. Who in 

 our time has ever heard or known of anyone producing 

 from common pigeons any breed of fancy pigeons that 



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