202 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
pigeons produce with the large ones, whereas it does not 
appear that the ring-dove produces with the stock-dove, 
! since both frequent the same places without mixing toge- 
! ther. The turtle-dove, which grows familiar still more 
readily than the ring-dove, and which can easily he brought 
up and fed in the house, might have an equal title to be 
regarded as the stem of some of our races of domestic 
j pigeons, if it was not, as well as the ring-dove, of a particular 
species, and which never mixes with the wild pigeon; but 
; we may suppose that animals which do not mix in their 
natural state, because every male finds a female of his own 
' species, might mix in a state of captivity if deprived of then 1 
own female and only a strange one was offered to them. 
The wood-pigeon, the ring-dove, and the turtle-dove never 
mix in the woods, because there each one finds the female 
the most suitable to him, that is to say, one of his own 
species; but it is possible that, being deprived of then’ 
liberty and their female, they might unite with the one 
presented them, and as these three species are very near 
akin, the individuals which would result from their mixing 
! might he found fruitful, and consequently produce lasting 
races or varieties.” 
Further on, in the Natural History of the Turtle-Dove, he 
speaks with less hesitation:—“ The different varieties (of 
turtle-doves) are easily united together; they may even be 
I paired with the pigeon, and made to produce mongrels or 
I mules, and thus form new races or new individual varieties. 
‘ I have seen, a credible witness writes me word, in Bugey, 
at a Carthusian friar's, a bird born from the mixing of a 
pigeon and turtle-dove; it was the colour of the French 
turtle-dove, and retained more of the turtle dove than the 
pigeon; it was restless, and disturbed the peace of the dove¬ 
cot. The father pigeon was of a very small species, perfectly 
white, with black wings.’ This observation, which has not 
been followed so far as to learn if the mongrel proceeding 
from the pigeon and turtle-dove was fruitful, or whether it 
was a barren mule, proves at least the very great proximity 
of these two species. It is, then, very possible, as we have 
already insinuated, that the wood-pigeon, ring-dove, and 
turtle-dove, whose species appears to maintain itself sepa¬ 
rately and unmixed in the natural state, may nevertheless 
often he united when domesticated, and that the greater 
part of the races of our domestic pigeons may he the issue 
of their mixing, some of which are the size of the ring-dove, 
and others, by their smallness and figure, &c., resemble the 
turtle-dove, and several of them, in short, belong to the 
wood-pigeon, or participate iu all three.” 
Those naturalists who, without a deep examination, have 
adopted the opinion that all domestic pigeons descend from 
the wood-pigeon, are not backward in quoting Button to 
prove this; and yet we have just seen that this great man 
has not dared himself to decide this question in a positive 
manner. Some authors, and Brisson among others, have 
thought that the Roman pigeon was a primitive species; 
and that all our races come from that and the wood-pigeon, 
with its three varieties. I should not only agree with this 
opinion, hut even give a greater extension to the idea ; 
for I think that many varieties have been produced by 
blending the ring-dove, turtle-dove, wood-pigeon, and other 
strange species, but belonging, nevertheless, to the ancient 
Continents. As a proof of this, some wild pigeons are found 
in Asia and Africa, which have a great analogy of form with the 
the varieties that we possess. 1st. The pigeon from Barbary 
or Crete, described by Willughby and Aldrovandus, is found in 
the two countries of which it bears the name,both in a domes¬ 
tic and wild state. According to ancient authors, it has a very 
short beak, like our Polish pigeon, and the eyes are surrounded 
by a large band of naked skin. 2nd. The Guinea pigeon of 
Brisson, or the triangular spotted pigeon of Edwards, is 
about the size of the Roman pigeon, and consequently one 
of the largest; it has round the eyes a naked skin of a bright 
red, orange-coloured iris, the beak blackish, with the mem¬ 
brane which covers it ash-coloured. 3rd. The Norwegian 
pigeon, from Schwenckfeld, is tufted, rough footed, as white 
as snow, and larger than any of our pigeons. 4th. The 
pigeon of the Indies of Brisson, or Edwards’ brown pigeon, 
lias the habit of frequently moving the tail like the wagtail, 
which would make it resemble our shaker pigeon ; further¬ 
more, it is the same size, not being larger than a turtle-dove, 
"itli. According to Gemelli Carreri, pigeons are found among 
[July 25. 
the Phillippine or Manilla islands which raise and display 
their tail like the peacock, <tc. 
It may be seen by this connection, and I might carry 
it much further, that by blending these species with them 
and the wood-pigeon, one might, produce, in a very short 
time, all the most singular races, with the exception of the 
Jacobine and Turbit pigeons; but these last even have, 
doubtless, their type also, which, perhaps, will one day be 
discovered. 
I know that this will he objected to, as I have before said 
that the mongrels proceeding from two different species are 
unfruitful; but I should reply, that nothing will oblige me to 
look upon the individuals I have just named as distinct spe¬ 
cies. Why should ive not admit primitive races in animals, 
as we are obliged to do in man, according to the reasoning 
of enlightened anatomists ? If there are pure races of white 
and black men, producing by the mixture fruitful Creoles, I 
do not see why the white Norwegian pigeon, tufted, and 
rough-footed, should produce barren individuals with our 
wood-pigeon, which has none of its characters. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE DOVE-COT PIGEONS. 
FOURTH RACE. 
(Continued from page 245.) 
Tambour Pigeons : Columba tgmpanixans. — This race ap¬ 
pears to he one of the most pure—since if once lost there 
is no means of reviving it, let us take what care we may in 
the crossing. These birds may be known by their extremely 
feathered feet, the crown on their head, and still better by 
their singular voice. 
14. Tambour Pigeon : Columba tympanisans gluuglou .— 
This bird is very remarkable for its cooing, which when 
heal’d at a certain distance resembles exactly the noise of a 
drum, from which it derives its first name; the second is in 
consequence of its continually making these two sounds, 
“ glou-glou.” The iris is of a pearl white, and the eyelid 
red—but it has no filament round the eyes; the head is 
covered with scales ; it has a crown of feathers across the 
forehead above the beak, resembling very closely the tuft of 
a canary; it is very rough-footed and breeched, that is to 
say, having long feathers on the thighs, which sometimes 
exceed two inches; it is thickly feathered on the feet, and is 
heavy of llight. There are some white ones existiug, hut 
generally they are shaded black and white. 
This variety is recommendahle for its great fecundity. The 
“ glou-glou ” lays every month, and only waits until its young 
are able to feed themselves to sit again : we may reckon on 
eight or nine broods a year. However, these delicate birds 
require some attention to succeed perfectly. In wet climates 
and neglected dove-cots the long feathers on its thighs, 
being wet and dirty, stick to the eggs while sitting, and, 
consequently, on quitting the nest it drags them out and 
breaks them ; or the filth that the bird carries into the nest 
accumulates on the eggs, forming such a thick hard crust 
over the shell that the young ones cannot break it to hatch, 
if even it has not hurt the incubation. The moulting of 
