APPENDIX G 



413 



how, for instance, could a Pouter be produced 

 by crossing two breeds unless one of the parent 

 stock possessed the characteristic enormous 

 crop? The supposed aboriginal stocks must 

 all have been rock-pigeons, that is, they did 

 not breed or willingly perch on trees. But 

 besides columba livia, with its geographical 

 sub-species, only two or three other species 

 of rock-pigeons are known; and these have 

 not any of the characteristics of the domestic 

 breeds.^ Hence the_ supposed aboriginal stocks 

 must either still exist m the cotmtries where 

 they were originally domesticated, and yet 

 be unknown to ornithologists — and this, 

 con^dering their size, habits, and remark- 

 able characters, seems improbable — or they ■ 

 must have become extinct in the wild state. 

 But birds breeding on precipices, and good 

 fliers, are unlikely to be exterminated; and 

 the common rock-pigeon, which has the same 

 habits with the domestic breeds, has not been 

 exterminated even on several of the smaller 

 British islets, or on the shores of the Mediter- 

 ranean. Hence the supposed extermination 

 of so many species having similar habits with 

 the rock-pigeon seems a very rash assumption. 

 Moreover, the several above-named domes- 

 ticated breeds have been transported to all 

 parts of the world, and therefore, some of them 

 must have been carried back again into their 

 native country; but not one has become 

 wild or feral, though the dovecot-pigeon, 

 which is the rock-pigeon in a very slightly 

 altered state, has become feral in several 

 places. Again, all recent experience shows that 

 it is difficult to get wild animals to breed 

 freely under doinestication; yet, on the hypothe- 

 sis of the multiple origin of our pigeons, it 

 must be assumed that at least seven or eight 

 species were so thoroughly domesticated in 

 ancient times by half-civilized man as to be 

 quite prolific under confinement. 



An argument of great weight, and applicable 

 in several other cases, is that the above- 

 specified breeds, though agreeing generally with 

 the wild rock-pigeon in constitution, habits, 

 voice, coloring, and in most parts of their 

 structure, yet are certainly highly abnormal in 

 other parts; we may look in vain through the 

 whole great family of columbidce for a beak 

 like that of the English Carrier, or that of 

 the short-faced Tumbler, or Barb; for reversed 

 feathers like those of the Jacobin: for a crop 

 like that of the Pouter; for tail-feathers like 

 those of the Fantail. Hence it must be 

 assumed not only that half-civilized man suc- 

 ceeded in thoroughly domesticating several 

 species, but that he intentionally or by chance 

 picked out extraordinarily abnormal species; 

 and further, that these very species have since 

 all become extinct or unknown. So -many 

 strange contingencies are improbable in the 

 highest degree. 



THE LAWS OR PRINCIPLES OF BREED- 

 ING, by Jas. P. Kinnard. The breeding of 

 Eigeons, like everything in nature, is governed 

 y certain laws or principles, several of which 

 are well recognized, and there are doubtless 



Others not yet discovered. Some of the 

 principles of breeding have been discovered 

 and recognized for ages, and being now well 

 known, enable the breeder to prosecute his 

 work with a reasonable degree of success. 



There are three welj-recognized funda- 

 mental laws or principles'of breeding: 1. The 

 principle of **like begets like"; 2. The prin- 

 ciple of " variation "; and 3. The principle of 

 " atavism." 



Like begets like, the first great law of breed- 

 ing, enables the breeder to attain success, be- 

 cause it is this principle of breeding that causes 

 a Homer to produce a Homer, a Carneau to 

 produce a Carneau, a ^ed bird to produce a 

 red bird, and a large bird to produce a large 

 bird; and thus enables a breeder to Imow 

 with some degree of certainty, when he selects 

 his parent stock, what kind of young they will 

 produce. _ 



The principle like begets like is more or less 

 modified or interfered with by the other two 

 principles, and it is also assisted or interfered 

 with by another principle of breeding known 

 as prepotency, which is really a sub-principle 

 of like begets like. 



Variation is that principle of breeding which 

 has a tendency to cause the form, color, etc.. 

 of the young to differ from that of the parent 

 stock. 



Atavism is that principle of breeding which 

 has a tendency to cause the offspring to breed 

 back (it is called) to one or more ancestors, 

 sometimes even very remote. 



_ The degree of strength by which the prin- 

 ciple of like begets Hide operates, is somewhat 

 governed or controlled by another lav/ of 

 breeding known as prepotency, that is, the 

 power of imparting the quality of the parent 

 stock upon the young. To illustrate, a solid 

 red Carneau that has been produced from a 

 long line of solid red Carneaux, by carefn' 

 selection and breeding is more prepotent ant 

 can be depended upon with a greater degree of 

 certainty to impart its solid red color ana 

 other good qualities upon its squabs than a red 

 cross between a Carneau and a Homer. Hence 

 it is better to breed pure-bred stock that has 

 been bred for a long number of generations 

 by a breeder or breeders who possess the 

 requisite skill and knowledge of the principles 

 of breeding; for good results are more certain 

 of attainment than when mongrels or crosses 

 are used. 



The second great law or principle of breed- 

 ing, variation, more or less modifies and inter- 

 feres with the law of like begets like and makes 

 the life of thq breeder miserable, as it were, for 

 it causes the qualities of the offspring to vary, 

 sometimes widsly, from those of the parents. 

 It is only by the most careful, skilful, and per- 

 sistent system of selecting the best specimens, 

 possessing the most desirable qualities, and 

 rigidly eliminating or culling out all undesir- 

 able specimens, that enables the first law, like 

 begets like, to work in harmony with the third 

 law, atavism,^ and thus overcome to a great 

 extent the evils of the second law, variation; 

 thus giving the skilful, intelligent breeder a 



