Chap. I. DOMESTIC PIGEONS. 27 



species of pigeons to breed freely under domestication ; 

 these supposed species being quite unknown in a wild 

 state, and their becoming nowhere feral ; these species 

 having very abnormal characters in certain respects, as 

 compared with all other Columbidse, though so like in 

 most other respects to the rock-pigeon ; the blue colour 

 and various marks occasionally appearing in all the 

 breeds, both when kept pure and when crossed; the 

 mongrel offspring being perfectly fertile ; — from these 

 several reasons, take a together, I can feel no doubt that 

 all our domestic breeds have descended from the Co- 

 lumba livia with its geographical sub-species. 



In favour of this view, I may add, firstly, that C. livia, 

 or the rock-pigeon, has been found capable of domestica- 

 tion in Europe and in India ; and that it agrees in habits 

 and in a great number of points of structure with all 

 the domestic breeds. Secondly, although an English 

 carrier or short-faced tumbler differs immensely in cer- 

 tain characters from the rock-pigeon, yet by comparing 

 the several sub-breeds of these breeds, more especially 

 those brought from distant countries, we can make an 

 almost perfect series between the extremes of structure. 

 Thirdly, those characters which are mainly distinctive of 

 each breed, for instance the wattle and length of beak 

 of the carrier, the shortness of that of the tumbler, and 

 the number of tail-feathers in the fantail, are in each 

 breed eminently variable ; and the explanation of this 

 fact will be obvious when we come to treat of selection. 

 Fourthly, pigeons have been watched, and tended with 

 the utmost care, and loved by many people. They have 

 been domesticated for thousands of years in several 

 quarters of the world ; the earliest known record of 

 pigeons is in the fifth ^Egyptian dynasty, about 3000 b.c, 

 as was pointed out to me by Professor Lepsius ; but 

 Mr. Birch informs me that pigeons are given in a bill 



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