Chap. V. DESCRIPTION OF BREEDS. 157 



with a forked tail is mentioned in some treatises; and as Bechstein 25 

 briefly describes and figures this bird, with a tail "having completely 

 the structure of that of the house-swallow/' it must once have existed, 

 for Bechstein was far too good a naturalist to have confounded any dis- 

 tinct species with the domestic pigeon. Lastly, an extraordinary pigeon 

 imported from Belgium has lately been exhibited at the Philoperisteron 

 Society in London, 26 which "conjoins the colour of an archangel with 

 the head of an owl or barb, its most striking peculiarity being the extra- 

 ordinary length of the tail and wing-feathers, the latter crossing beyond 

 the tail, and giving to the bird the appearance of a gigantic swift (Cypselus), 

 or long- winged hawk." Mr. Tegetmeier informs me that this bird weighed 

 only 10 ounces, but in length was 15| inches from tip of beak to end of 

 tail, and 321 inches from tip to tip of wing; now the wild rock-pigeon 

 weighs 14g ounces, and measures from tip of beak to end of tail 15 inches, 

 and from tip to tip of wing only 261 inches. 



I have now described all the domestic pigeons known to me, 

 and have added a few others on reliable authority. I have 

 classed them under four Groups, in order to mark their affinities 

 and degrees of difference ; but the third group is artificial. The 

 kinds examined by me form eleven races, which include several 

 sub -races ; and even these latter present differences that would 

 certainly have been thought of specific value if observed in a 

 state of nature. The sub-races likewise include many strictly 

 inherited varieties ; so that altogether there must exist, as pre- 

 viously stated, above 150 kinds which can be distinguished, 

 though generally by characters of extremely slight importance. 

 Many of the genera of the Columbidae, which are admitted by 

 ornithologists, do not differ in any great degree from each other ; 

 taking this into consideration, there can be no doubt that several 

 of the most strongly characterised domestic forms, if found wild 

 would have been placed in at least five new genera. Thus a 

 new genus would have been formed for the reception of the 

 improved English Pouter: a second genus for Carriers and 

 Kunts; and this would have been a wide or comprehensive 

 genus, for it would have admitted common Spanish Runts with- 

 out any wattle, short-beaked Runts like the Tronfo, and the 

 improved English Carrier: a third genus would have been 

 formed for the Barb: a fourth for the Fantail: and lastly, a 

 fifth for the short-beaked, not-wattled pigeons, such as Turbits 



■ 'Naturgesch. Deutschlands,' Band * Ml , w B Tegetmeier, 'Journal 



1V ' S< 4 '* of Horticulture,' Jan. 20th, 1863, p. 58. 



