| → Many slight differences might, and indeed do now, arise amongst pigeons, which 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
| It is known that with pigeons many slight variations now occasionally appear, but these 1872 |
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| → as yet they will 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869 |
| they will as yet 1872 |
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tail-feathers somewhat expanded, like the present Java fantail, or like individuals of other and distinct breeds, in which as many as seventeen tail-feathers have been counted. Perhaps the first pouter-pigeon did not inflate its crop much more than the turbit now does the upper part of its œsophagus, — a habit which is disregarded by all fanciers, as it is not one of the points of the breed. |
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| Nor let it be thought that some great deviation of structure would be necessary to catch the
eye: he perceives extremely small differences, and it is in human nature to value any novelty, however slight, in
own possession. Nor must the value which would formerly
set on any slight differences in the individuals of the same species, be judged of by the value which
now
set on them, after several breeds have
fairly been established.
→Many slight differences might, and indeed do now, arise amongst pigeons, which
are rejected as faults or deviations from the standard of perfection
each breed. The common goose has not given rise to any marked varieties; hence the
and the common breed, which differ only in colour, that most fleeting of characters, have lately been exhibited as distinct at our poultry-shows. |
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views
explain what has sometimes been noticed —
that we know
about the origin or history of any of our domestic breeds. But, in fact, a breed, like a dialect of a language, can hardly be said to have
a
origin. A man preserves and breeds from an individual with some slight deviation of structure, or takes more care than usual in matching his best
and thus improves them, and the improved
slowly spread in the immediate neighbourhood. But
→as yet they will
hardly have a distinct name, and from being only slightly valued, their history will
disregarded.
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