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Show 90 DARWINISM CHAP. colour, the tail has a dark band across tho end, tho wings ha,vo two black bands, and the outer t:til-fca.tl1crs arc edged with white at tho base. No other wild pigeon in the worl<l has this combination of characters. Now in every o'nc of the domestic varieties, even the most extreme, all the above marks, even to the white edging of the outer tail-feath ers, arc sometimes found perfectly developed. "When hinh; belonging to two distinct breeds arc crossed one or more times, neither of the parents being blue, or having any of the above-named marks, the mongrel offspring arc very apt to acquire some of these characters. Mr. Darwin gives instances which he observed himself. He crossed some white fantails with some black barbs, and the mongrels were black, brown, or mottled. He also crossed a barb with a spot, which is a white bird with a red tail a,ncl red spot on the forehead, and tho mongrel offspring were dusky and mottled. On now crossing these two sets of mongrels with each other, he obtained a bird of a beautiful blue colour, with the barred and white edged tail, and double-banded wings, so as almost exactly to resemble a wild rock-pigeon. This bird W<tS descended in the second generation from a. pure white ancl pure black bird, both of which when unmixed breed their kind remarkably true. These facts, well known to experienced pigeon-fanciers, together with the habits of the birds, which all like to nest in holes, or dovecots, not in trees like the great majority of wild pigeons, have led to the general belief in the single origin of all the different kinds. In order to afford some idea of the great differences which exist among domesticated pigeons, it will be well · to give a brief abstract of Mr. Darwin's account of them. I-Ic diviclrs them into eleven distinct races, most of which have several sub-races. RACE I. Pouters.- These are especially distinguished hy the enormously enlarged crop, which can be so inflated in some birds as almost to conceal the beak. They are very long in the body and legs and stand almost upright, so as to present a very distinct appearance. Their skeleton has become modified, the ribs being broader and the vertcbrre more numerous than in other pigeons. IV VARIATION UNDER DOMESTICATION 91 RA 'E II. Ca1Tien -These arc large, long-necked birds, with a long pointed beak, and the eyes surrounded with a naked carunculatcd skin or wattle, which is also largely developed at the base of the beak. The opening of the mouth is unusually wide. There arc several sub-races, one being called Dragons. RACE III. R~tnts.-These are very large-bodied, long-beaked pigeons, with naked skin round the eyes. The wings arc usually very long, tho legs long, and the feet large, and the skin of the neck is often reel. There are several snb-raccs, and these differ very much, forming a series of links between the wild rock-pigeon and the carrier. RAC:Ii~ IV. Barbs.-Those are remarkable for their very short and thick beak, so unlike that of most pigeons that fanciers compare it with that of a bullfinch. They have also a naked carunculated skin round the eyes, and the skin over the nostrils swollen. RACE V. Fantails.-Short-bodied and rather small-beaked pigeons, with an enormously developed tail, consisting usually of from fourteen to forty feathers instead of twelve, the regular number in all other pigeons, wild and tame. The tail spreads out like a fan and is usually carried erect, and tho bird bends back its slender neck, so that in highly-bred varieties the head touches the tail. The feet are small, and they walk stiffly. RA E VI. Turbits and Owls.-These are characterised by the feathers of the middle of neck and breast in front spreading out irregularly so as to form a frill. The Turbits also have a crest on the head, and both have the beak excee~ingly short. RA 'E VII. T~tmble-rs.-Theso have a small body and short beak, but they are specially distinguished by the singular habit of tumbling over backwards during flight. One of the sub-races, the Indian Lotan or Ground tumbler, if slightly shaken and placed on the ground, will immediately begin tumbling head over heels until taken up and soothed. If not taken up, some of them will go on turn bling till they die. |
