28 DOMESTIC PIGEONS. [Chap. I. 



parts of their structure, yet are certainly highly abnor- 

 mal in other parts ; we may look in vain through the 

 whole great family of Cokmibid.Ee 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-civilised man succeeded in thoroughly 

 domesticating several species, but that he intention- 

 ally or by chance picked out extraordinarily abnormal 

 species ; and further, that these very species have since 

 all become extinct or unknown. So manv strange 

 contingencies are improbable in the highest degree. 



Some facts in regard to the colouring of pigeons well 

 deserve consideration. The rock- pigeon is of a slaty- 

 blue, with white loins; but the Indian sub-species, 

 C. intermedia of Strickland, has this part bluish. The 

 tail has a terminal dark bar, with the outer feathers 

 externally edged at the base with white. The wings 

 have two black bars. Some semi-domestic breeds ; and 

 some truly wild breeds, have, besides the two black 

 bars, the wings chequered with black. These several 

 marks do not occur together in any other species of 

 the whole family. Xow, in every one of the domestic 

 breeds, taking thoroughly w^ell-bred birds, all the above 

 marks, even to the white ed^incr f the outer tail- 

 feathers, sometimes concur perfectly developed. More- 

 over, when birds belonging to two or more distinct 

 breeds are crossed, none of which are blue or have 

 any of the above-specified marks, the mongrel offspring 

 are very apt suddenly to acquire these characters. 

 To give one instance out of several which I have 

 observed : — I crossed some white fantails, winch breed 



