206 DOMESTIC PIGEOXS : Chap. VI 



blue birds with black bars on the whig, with the croup 

 either white or very pale or dark blue, with the tail having 

 a terminal black bar. and with the outer feathers externally 

 edged with white or very pale coloured, in the following races, 

 which, as I carefully observed in each case, appeared to be 

 perfectly true : namely, in Pouters, Fantails, Tumblers, 

 Jacobins, Turbits, Barbs, Carriers, Bunts of three distinct 

 varieties, Trumpeters, Swallows, and in many other toy- 

 pigeons, which as being closely allied to C. liria, are not 

 worth enumerating. Thus we see that, in purely -bred races 

 of every kind known in Europe, blue birds occasionally appear 

 having all the marks which characterise G. livid, and which 

 concur in no other wild species. Mr. Blyth, also, has made 

 the same observation with respect to the various domestic 

 races known in India. 



Certain variations in the plumage are equally common in 

 the wild C. livia, in dovecot-pigeons, and in all the most 

 highly modified races. Thus, in all, the croup varies from 

 white to blue, being most frequently white in Europe, and 

 very generally blue in India. 25 We have seen that the wild 

 C. licia in Europe, and dovecots in all parts of the world, 

 often have the upper wing-coverts chequered with black; 

 and all the most distinct races, when blue, are occasional!) 

 chequered in precisely the same manner. Thus I have seen 

 Punters, Fantails, Carriers, Turbits, Tumblers (Indian and 

 English), Swallows, Bald-pates, and other toy-pigeons blue 

 and chequered ; and Air. Esquilant has seen a chequered Runt. 

 I bred from two pure blue Tumblers a chequered bird. 



The facts hitherto given refer to the occasional appearance 

 in pui e races of blue birds with black wing-bars, and likewise 



blue Barb ; anl Mr. H. Weir, as I am Madras. A slaty-blue and chequerel 



informed by Mr. Teget:r,eier, once Xakshi pigeon has some white leathers 



bred a silver (which means very pale on the croup alone. In some other 



blue) Barb from two yellow birds. Indian pigeons there were a few white 



25 Mr. Blyth informs me that all feathers confined to the croup, and I 



the domestic races in Inlia have the have noticed the ssme fact in a carrier 



croup blue; but this is not invariable, from Persia. The Java Fantail (im- 



for 1 possess a very pale blue Simmaii ported into Amoy, and thence sent 



pigeon with the croup perfectly white, me) has a perfectly white croup, 

 sent to me bv Sir W. Elliot from 



