Chap. V. DESCRIPTION OF BREEDS. 165 



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 distinct species with the domestic pigeon. Lastly, 

 an extraordinary pigeon imported from Eelguim has lately been 

 exhibited at the Philoperisteron Society in London, 26 which " con- 

 joins the colour of an archangel with the head of an owl or barb, 

 its most striking peculiarity being the extraordinary 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 to beak 

 to end of tail, and 32£ inches from tip to tip of wing ; now the 

 wild rock-pigeon weighs 14i ounces, and measures from tip to 

 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 like- 

 wise include many strictly inherited varieties ; so that 

 altogether there must exist, as previously remarked, above 

 150 kinds which can be distinguished, though generally by 

 characters of extremely slight importance. Many of the 

 genera of the Columbidae, 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 

 Bunts; and this would have been a wide or comprehensive 

 genus, for it would have admitted common Spanish Eunts 

 without any wattle, short-beaked Eunts like the Tronfo, and 

 the improved English Carrier : a third genus would have 

 been formed for the Barb: a fourth for the Eantail : and 

 lastly, a fifth for the short beaked, not-wattled pigeons, such 



26 Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier, 'Journal of Horticulture,' Jan. 20th, 1863, p. 58. 



