BO DOMESTIC PIGEOXS. [Chap. I. 



is a tendency in the breed to revert to a character 

 which was lost during some former generation, this 

 tendency, for all that we can see to the contrary, may 

 be transmitted undiminished for an indefinite number 

 of generations. These two distinct cases of reversion 

 are often confounded together by those who have 

 written on inheritance. 



Lastly, the hybrids or mongrels from between all the 

 breeds of the pigeon are perfectly fertile, as I can 

 state from my own observations, purposely made, on 

 the most distinct breeds. Xow, hardly any cases have 

 been ascertained with certainty of hybrids from two 

 quite distinct species of animals being perfectly fertile. 

 Some authors believe that long-continued domestication 

 eliminates this strong tendency to sterility in species. 

 From the historv of the dog, and of some other domestic 

 animals, this conclusion is probably quite correct, if 

 applied to species closely related to each other. But 

 to extend it so far as to suppose that species, aborigi- 

 nally as distinct as carriers, tumblers, pouters, and 

 fantails now are, should yield offspring perfectly fertile 

 inter se, would be rash in the extreme. 



From these several reasons, namely, — the improba- 

 bility of man having formerly made seven or eight 

 supposed species of pigeons to breed freely under 

 domestication ; — these supposed species being quite 

 unknown in a wild state, and their not having become 

 anywhere feral ; — these species presenting certain very 

 abnormal characters, as compared with all other 

 Columbida?, though so like the rock-pigeon in most 

 respects; — the occasional re-appearance of the blue 

 colour and various black marks in all the breeds, both 

 when kept pure and when crossed; — and lastly, the 



