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Show 102 DOMESTIC PIGEONS. C IIAl' . \ '. . . f tho London pigeon-world.' Since my admisswn mto tw? u f· many of tho dnbs, I have received the kindest assll:ltance lOID most eminent amateurs.2 h' h be distinauished, and f tl Piaoon w IC can b b' , ~ rrho races o 10 b MM Boitard and Cor 1e · d t revery numerous. · which bree rue, a . d I ld add several European . d t '1122 kmds. an cou 1 . d e~:~cribo m c m ' I I a· · 1daing from the s nns • ]~ T to them, n n Ja, .Jl O S' w kmds not \.!10\\ n many bree ds un1 own here · and 1r · {U ' • sent me, thoro are 11 t' imported by an Inchan . {' that a co ec wn d l~lliot m orms me · ' C . . d Constantinople include · t Madras from ano an merchant m 0 · . I a· I have 110 doubt that there 1 ki ls unknown m n m. d h :::;evcra ~c ve 150 kinds which breed true an ave exist consHlerably abo d B t of these the far greater number been separately name . l u. nimportant characters. Such differ from each other on ! ~ u sed over and I shall confine di:IT'ercnces will be here entire y P.as f t.' 't . That many h . nportant pomts o s l nc me. myself to t. ~ more 11 • t hall presently see. I have looked important difforcnecs exis wells t' of the Columbidro in the I h the magnificent co ec wn t lroug . . 1 c exce tion of a few forms (such as British Museum, and, with tG1 • P & ) I do not hesitate to the Didunculus, Calrenas, oma, c. ' I 'l'he Hen. C. l\{urray has sent me ery valuable ~pccimcns fr?m ~;omc v u1 M · Kmth p 'rsia ; nml U.M. Con:~ , J.. Abbott, bas given me mfonnatwn on tbc pigeons of the same c~untry. . ~ r1.1t t deeply indebted to ~tr "Yal ~cr Elliot for n.n immense co11cctton o~ skms from Madras, with much informatwn regarding them. Mr. Blyth bus freely com- 11nmicatcd to me his stores o flmowl~dgc on this and all other related subJects. '1'110 Rn.jtth Sir James Brooke sent me specimens from BOJ·nco, as has H.~. Consul, M.r. Swinhoc, from Amoy m China, n.nd Dr. Daniell from the west coast of Africa. . 2 M.r. B. P. Brent, well known for lns vurious contributions to poultry lit~mture bas aided me in every way clur~ng scvc~·al yenrs ; so has M.r. 'l'cgctmeJCr, with unwearied kindness. '!'Lis latU:r gentleman, who is well ]mown for h1s worl\s on poultry, nnd who has l~rgcly hrcd pigeons, hils lookcrl over tlns n.nd the follo win ~ cilnpler. Mr. Bult. for-merl y showed mo his unrivalled ~ll cction of Pouters, and gave me spcc un ~ns. I had access to Mr. Wickin g·s collccbon, which contained a greater assorbnent of many kinds thn.n could any w~t cro else bo seen; and ho has always n.J~cd me with specimens and informatlon given in tho freest mann~r. Mr. Hay n~s and Mr. Corker have grvcn me s~eclmcns of t ucu· magnificent Garners. To Mr. Harrison Weir I am likewise indebted. Nor must I by any m fi llS pass over the assistance received from Mr. J. M. En.ton, Mr. Baker, Mr. EvanH, and Mr. J. Baily, jun., of Mount-str ct - to tho latter gentleman I hav~ been indebted for some valuable spccmlC~ S. To all those gentlemen I beg perm~ssion to return my sincere and cordtal t hanks. 3 • Los Pi..,.cons do Volierc et de Colombicr,' Paris, 1824. During fortyfi vo years t ho sole occupation ?f M~ Corbic wns tho care of tho ptgcons hdonging to the Duchess of Berry. C IIAP. v. DESCRIPTION OF BREEDS. ] 33 affirm that some domestic races of the rock-pigeon cliffer fully u.s much from each other in external characters as do the most distinct natural genera. vVo may look in vain through the 288 known species 1 for a beak so small and conical as that of the short-faced tumbler· for one so broad and short as that of the barb; for one s~ long, straight, and narrow, with its enormous wattles, as that of the English carrier; for an expanded upraised tail like that of the fantail; or for an oosophagus like tbat of the pouter. I do not for a moment pretend that the domestic races differ from each other in their whole organisation as much as the more distinct natural genera. I refer only to external characters, on which, however, it muRt be confessed that most genera of birds have been founded. When, in a future chapter, we discuss the principle of selection as followed by man, we shall clearly see why the differences between the domestic races arc almost always confined to external, or at least to externally visible, characters. Owing to the amount and gradations of difference between the several breeds, I have found it indispensable in the following classification to rank them under Groups, Races, and Sub-races ; to which varieties and sub-varieties, all strictly inheriting their proper characters, must often be added. Even with the individuals of the same sub-variety, when long kept by different fancie~·s, different strains can sometimes be recognised. There can be no doubt that, if well-characterized forms of the several Races bad been found wild, all would have been ranked as distinct species, and several of them would certainly have been placed by ornithologists in distinct genera. A good classification of the various domestic breeds is extremely difficult, owing to the manner in which many of the forms graduate into each other; but it is curious how exactly the same difficulties are encountered, and the same rules have to be followed, as in the classification of any natural but difficult group of organic beings. An "artificial classification" might be followed which would present fewer difficulties than a" natural classification ; " but then it would interrupt many plain &ffinities. Extreme forms can readily be defined; but intermediate and troublesome formR 4 'Coup d'Otil sur l 'Ordro des Pigeons,' par Prinrc C. J_,, Bonaparte, PariO<, 1855. This author mak es 288 species, rnnked under 85 genera. |