Origin of Species Variorum

→ we may safely conclude 1861 1866 1869 1872

I can feel no doubt 1859 1860

→ Columba 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

rock-pigeon or Columba 1872

→ C. livia, or the rock-pigeon, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

the wild C. livia 1872

→ an almost perfect series 1859 1860 1861

in these two cases, and in some but not in all other cases, an almost perfect series 1866 1869

OMIT 1872

→ extremes of structure. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

and the rock pigeon, an almost perfect series; so we can in some other cases, but not with all the breeds. 1872

→ for 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

are in each eminently variable, for 1872

→ are in each breed eminently variable; 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

OMIT 1872

several reasons, taken together, →we may safely conclude that all our domestic breeds

are

have

descended from the →Columba livia with its geographical sub-species.

In favour of this view, I may add,

first,

firstly,

that →C. livia, or the rock-pigeon, has been found capable of domestication in Europe and in India; and that it agrees in habits and in a great number of points of structure with all the domestic breeds. Secondly,

that, although

although

an English carrier or

a short-faced

short-faced

tumbler differs immensely in certain characters from the rock-pigeon, yet

that, by

comparing the several sub-breeds of these

breeds,

two races,

varieties,

more especially those brought from distant countries, we can

make,

make

→an almost perfect series between

them

the

→extremes of structure. Thirdly, those characters which are mainly distinctive of each

breed

breed,

→for instance the wattle and length of beak of the carrier, the shortness of that of the tumbler, and the number of tail-feathers in the

fantail;

fantail,

→are in each breed eminently variable; and the explanation of this fact will be obvious when we

~~come to~~

come to

treat of

selection.

Selection.

Fourthly, pigeons have been

watched,

watched

and tended with the utmost care, and loved by many people. They have been domesticated for thousands of years in several quarters of the world; the earliest known record of pigeons is in the fifth

Ægyptian

ægyptian

dynasty, about 3000 B.C., as was pointed out to me by Professor Lepsius; but Mr. Birch informs me that pigeons are given in a bill 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";

birds;"

and, continues the courtly