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Show 11.6 DOMESTIC PIGEONS. CIIAI'. v. may perhaps bo called) comes into play in tho classification of domestic varieties, as with species in a state of nature. Fanciers, with some truth, compare tho head ancl beak of tho Barb to that of a bull finch. The Barh if f01md in a state of uaturo, would certainly have been placed in a no'~ genus formed for its roceptio~. Tho body is a little larger than that of tho rock-pigeon, but tho bo~k JS more tba~ ·2 of an inch shorter; although shorter, it is both vol'twally and honzontally thicker. From tho outward Oc:x.uro of tho rl~mi of: t~o lower jaw, tho mouth intomally is very broad, in tho proportiOn o~ ·6 to ·4 to that of tho rock-pigeon. Tho whole head is broad. Tho slan over tho nostrils is swollen, but not carunculated, except slightly in first-rate birds when old· whilst tho naked skin round tho eye is broad and much oarunculated. 'n is sometimes so much developed, that a bird belonging to Mr. IJarri on Weir could hardly see to pick up food from the o-round. Tho eyelids in one specimen were nearly twjco as long as those of the rockpigeon. The feet arc coarse and strong, but proportionally rather shorter than in tho rock-pigeon. Tho plumage is generally dark and uniform. Barbs, in short, may be called short-beaked Carriers, bearing the same relation to Carriers that tho Tronfo of Aldrovandi. docs to tho common Hunt. · GROUP III. This group is artificial, and includes a heterogeneous collection of distinct forms. It may be defined by the beak, in wellcharacterised specimens of the several races, being shorter than in _the rock-pigeon, and by the skin round the eyes not being much developed. HACE V.-FANTAILS. Sttb-race I. European Pa?llu.ils (Pfauon-Taub.o; Tromblours). 1'ail expanded, di1·ected upwards, formed qf many f eathers ; oil-gland aborted; body and bealc 1·ather short. The normal number of tail-feathers in the genus Columba is 12; but Fantails havo from only 12 (as has been asserted) up to, according to MM. Boitard and 0orbi6, 42. I have counted in one of my own birds 33, and at Calcutta Mr. Blyth 12 has counted in an imperfect tail34 feathers. In Madras, as I am informed by Sir W. Elliot, 32 is tho standard number; but in England number is much less valued than tho position and expansion of tho tail. Tho feathers arc arranged in an irregular double row; their permanent expansion, like a fan, and their upward direction, are more remarkable. characters than their increased number. The tail is capable of tho same movements as in other pigeons, and can bo depressed so as to sweep the grotmd. It arises from a more expanded basis than in ' ~ 'Annals nntl Mu~. of Nat. Hi story,' vol. xix., 1847, p. lOii. 'IIAP. V. DESCRIPTION OF BREEDS. 147 other pigeons; and in three sl~olotons there wore one or two o:x.tm coccygeal vortebrro. I have exammod many specimens of various colours f.i. ·om diffo. r·o n t conn t n·o s, and thoro was no trace of tho oil-"'land · this JS .a cuneus case of abortion.I3 Tho neck is thin and b~wed 'back- 13 'l'.lli~ gland occurs in most birds· but Nitz~ch (in his 'Ptcryloo-raphie: Ui40, P· 55) states that it is absrut i;1 two . specie~ of Columba, in several sp~ew~ of ~~::;ittaeus, in some species of • Otis, u.ml 111 m?Ht or all birds of the • O:s~·iclt family. It can hardly be an ac01dontal coincidence t!Jat the two species of Columba, which n.:e destitute of an oil-gland, have an unusual number of htil-fcather:s, namely 16, ami in this rc:spect resemble Fautails. L 2 |