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Show 28 DOMESTIC PIGEONS. CnAP. I. of fare in the previous dynasty. In the time of the Romans, as we hear from Pliny, -immense prices were given for pigeons; "nay, they are come to this pass, that they can reckon up their pedigree and race." Pigeons were much valued by Akber Khan in India, about the year 1600; never less than 20,000 pigeons were taken with the court. " The monarchs of Iran and Turan sent him some very rare birds;" and, continues the courtly historian, "His Majesty by crossing the breeds, which method was never practised before, has improved them astonishingly." About this same period the Dutch were as eager about pigeons as were the old Romans. The paramount importance of these considerations in explaining the immense amount of variation which pigeons have undergone, will be obvious when we treat of Selection. We shall then, also, see how it is that the breeds so often have a somewhat monstrous character. It is also a most favourable circumstance for the production of distinct breeds, that male and female pigeons can be easily mated for life ; and thus different breeds can be kept together in the same aviary. . I have discussed the probable origin of domestic pigeons at some, yet quite insufficient, length ; because when .I first kept pigeons and watched the several kinds, knowing well how true they bred, I felt fully as much difficulty in believing that they could ever have descended from a common parent, as any naturalist could in coming to a similar conclusion in regard to the many species of fi~ches, or other large groups of birds, in nature. One crrcumstance has struck me much; namely, that all the breeders of the various domestic animals and the cultivators of plants, with whom I have ever conversed, or whose treatises I have read, are firmly convinced that the several breeds to which each has attended, are descended from so many aboriginally distinct species. CHAP. I. SELECTION BY MAN. 29 Ask, as I have asked 1 b cattle, whether his c~t~l ce e. r~ted raiser of Hereford from long-horns, and he ew~1a~ ~ot have descended have never met . g you to scorn. I rabbit £ . h a pigeon, or poultry, or duck or anCier, w o was not :fi 11 . ' main breed was descended f u y ?o~vinced that each Mons in his treat· rom a distinct species. Van ' 1se on pears d 1 . utterly he disbelieves th t th an app es, shows how a Ribston-pippin or C ;;. e several sorts, for instance ceeded from the seedso o!~::~~e, could ever have proother examples could b . me tree. Innumerable think, is simple . fr ~ given. The explanation, I strongly impress~d ~~h o:~c~~~nued study they are several races ; and thou h th I erences between the race varies slightly .e. thg ~y well know that each I• ng such slight d · ' lOT ey Win th . . .ce eir priZes by select- Iuerences yet th · arguments and refu t ' ~y Ignore all general d . .ce ' se o sum up m th . . Iuerences accumulated d . err minds slight t I.O ns. May not th ur1ng. many success!· ve genera-f ose naturalists h k . 0 the laws of inh •t w o, nowmg far less k . en ance than d th . nowmg no more than he oes. e breeder, and In the long lines of ddto es of the Intermediate links d . escen' yet ad "t th omestiC races have de scen d ed fro mtih at many of our may they not learn a I m e same parents-ride the idea of specie ~sson of caution, when they dedescendants of othe s ~~a ~tate of nature being lineal & . r spec1es ? electwn.-Let us n b . h . ow nefiy ·a w Ich domestic ra h cons! er the steps by ces ave been p d d . one or from several an· d . ro uce ' either from perhaps, be attributed~~ t~e~I.es. Som.e little effect may conditions of life and e . Irect actwn of the external be a bold man ~ho w~o~e httle to habit ; but he would the differences of a d u ac~ount by such agencies for and bloodhound a ~ay an race horse, a greyhound th ' earner and tu bl . e most remarkable featu . m er pigeon. One of res In our domesticated races |
