192 DOMESTIC PIGEONS : Chap. VI. 



fact belong to the genus Carpophaga. Fourthly, Columba guinea, 

 which ranges from Guinea 8 to the Cape of Good Hope, and roosts 

 either on trees or rocks, according to the nature of the country. 

 This species belongs to the genus Strictcenas of Eeichenbach, but 

 is closely allied to Columba; it is to some extent coloured like 

 certain domestic races, and has been said to be domesticated in 

 Abyssinia ; but Mr Mansfield Parkyns, who collected the birds of 

 that country and knows the species, informs me that this is a 

 mistake. Moreover, the 0. guinea is characterized by the feathers 

 of the neck having peculiar notched tips, — a character not observed 

 in any domestic race. Fifthly, the Columba cenas of Europe, which 

 roosts on trees, and builds its nest in holes, either in trees or the 

 ground ; this species, as far as external characters go, might be the 

 parent of several domestic races ; but, though it crosses readily 

 with the true rock-pigeon, the offspring, as we shall presently see, 

 are sterile hybrids, and of such sterility there is not a trace when 

 the domestic races are intercrossed. It should also be observed 

 that if we were to admit, against all probability, that any of the 

 foregoing five or six species were the parents of some of our 

 domestic pigeons, not the least light would be thrown on the 

 chief differences between the eleven most strongly-marked races. 



We now come to the best known rock-pigeon, the Columba Htria, 

 which is often designated in Europe pre-eminently as the Bock- 

 pigeon, and which naturalists believe to be the parent of all the 

 domesticated breeds. This bird agrees in every essential character 

 with the breeds which have been only slightly modified. It differs 

 from all other species in being of a slaty-blue colour, with two black 

 bars on the wings, and with the croup (or loins) white. Occasionally 

 birds are seeu in Faroe and the Hebrides with the black bars 

 replaced by two or three black spots ; this form has been named by 

 Brehm 9 C. amalice, but this species has not been admitted as distinct 

 by other ornithologists. Graba 10 even found a difference in the bars 

 on the right and left wings of the same bird in Faroe. Another and 

 rather more distinct form is either truly wild or has become feral 

 on the cliffs of England and was doubtfully named by Mr. Blyth 11 

 as C. affin is, but is now no longer considered by him as a distinct 

 species. C. ojffinis is rather smaller than the rock-pigeon of the 

 Scottish islands, and has a very different appearance owing to the 

 wing-coverts being chequered with black, with similar marks often 

 extending over the back. The chequering consists of a large black 



8 Temminck, 'Hist. Xat. Gen. des by Mr. Gosse that this is an error. 



Pigeons.' torn. i. ; also • Les Pigeons, 9 ' Handbiich der Naturgesch. 



par Mme. Knip and Temminck. Bona- Vogel Deutschlands.' 



parte, however, in his ' Coup-d'oeil,' 10 ' Tagebuch, Pveise nach Faro/ 



believes that two closely allied species 1830, s. 62. 



are confounded together under this u 'Annals and Mag. of Xat. Hist.' 



name. The C. leucocephala of the vol. xix. 1847, p. 102. This excellent 



West Indies is stated by Temminck to paper on pigeons is well worth con- 



be a rock-pigeon ; but I am informed suiting. 



