162 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



have very briefly described differ far 

 more widely from eacb other than do 

 many species acknowledged to be dis- 

 tinct. Nay, Mr. Darwin says at least 

 a score of pigeons might be chosen, 

 which, if shown to an ornithologist and 

 he were told they were wild birds, 

 would certainly be ranked as distinct 

 species. Moreover, I do not believe 

 that any ornithologist would, in this 

 case, place the English carrier, the 

 short-faced tumbler, the runt, the barb, 

 pouter and fantail in the same genus ; 

 more especially as in the case of each 

 of these breeds several truly-inherited 

 sub-breeds, or species, as he would call 

 them, could be shown him." 



Pigeons are known to have been 

 domesticated nearly 5000 years, there 

 being records of them as early as the 

 fourth and fifth Egyptian dynasties. 

 They have been carefully reared and 

 much prized during all that period, 

 and the origin of more important breeds 

 cannot now be traced. If the assump- 

 tian that they are all descended from 

 the blue rock be correct, and we see 

 not the slightest reason to doubt it. all 

 these wonderfully distinct races or 

 breeds have been produced by selection 

 during this period. Compared with 

 the immense ages some species must 

 have existed, this time is very short 

 indeed, and it may safely be said that 

 no such changes could have been 

 brought about by Natural Selection 

 during the time. Besides, as we have 



tried to show in former articles, natu- 

 ral selection can only produce perma- 

 nent changes of form that are bene- 

 ficial to the animal, and it is not to be 

 supposed for a moment that the large 

 crop of the pouter or the numerous 

 tail feathers of the fantail would be 

 any advantage to them in the struggle 

 for existence. But here we have 

 changes made in the appearance and 

 structure of the birds, so great that if 

 they had occurred among wild birds 

 they would have not only been con- 

 sidered different species, but some of 

 them would actually have been placed 

 in different genera. Now all that we 

 want our young readers to understand 

 here is the extent and character of 

 these changes. We want them to 

 observe that they are not confined to 

 one portion only of the body, nor to 

 variation in one direction. The feathers 

 of the tail in one bird are increased to 

 four or five times the normal number ; 

 in another the legs and feet are feather- 

 ed ; the feathers in others form a ruffle, 

 a crest, a hood, or almost what you 

 please. The shape of the bird, and, 

 consequently, its internal skeleton is 

 changed both in form and size. It 

 acquires such habits as the summer- 

 sault throwing of the tumbler, the 

 inflation of the crop of the pouter, the 

 erection of the tail by the fantail. All 

 pigeons have certain homing powers, 

 but the carrier has them to a wonderful 

 extent, and many other well-marked 



