Origin of Species Variorum

→ OMIT 1869 1872

as it seems to me, 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ with the wild rock-pigeon in 1869 1872

in 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ OMIT 1869 1872

with the wild rock-pigeon, 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ OMIT 1869 1872

of their structure: 1859

of their structure; 1860 1861 1866

→ are 1861 1866 1869 1872

seem to me 1859 1860

→ with white loins; but 1872

and has a white rump 1859 1860

and has a white croup 1861 1866

with white loins; 1869

→ has this part bluish. The 1872

having it bluish); the 1859 1860 1861 1866

having this part bluish; the 1869

→ OMIT 1869 1872

bases of the 1859 1860 1861 1866

→ at the base with white. The 1872

with white; the 1859 1860 1861 1866

at the base with white; the 1869

→ or more distinct 1861 1866 1869 1872

distinct 1859 1860

→ To give one instance out of several which I have observed: — 1861 1866 1869 1872

for instance, 1859 1860

↑ 1 blocks not present in 1861 1866 1869 1872; present in 1859 1860

uniformly white fantails with some uniformly black barbs, and they produced mottled brown and black birds; these I again crossed together, and one grandchild of the pure white fantail and pure black barb was of as beautiful a blue colour, with the white rump, double black wing-bar, and barred and white-edged tail-feathers, as any wild rock-pigeon!

again into their native country; but not one has

ever

....

become wild or feral, though the dovecot-pigeon, which is the rock-pigeon in a very slightly altered state, has become feral in several places. Again, all recent experience shows that it is

most

....

difficult to get

any

....

wild

animal

animals

to breed freely under domestication;

yet

yet,

on the hypothesis of the multiple origin of our pigeons, it must be assumed that at least seven or eight species were so thoroughly domesticated in ancient times by

half-civilized

half-civilised

man, as to be quite prolific under confinement.

argument,

argument

→OMIT of great weight, and applicable in several other cases, is, that the above-specified breeds, though agreeing generally →with the wild rock-pigeon in constitution, habits, voice, colouring, and in most parts of their structure, →OMIT yet are certainly highly abnormal in other

parts

parts;

→OMIT we may look in vain

throughout

through

the whole great family of Columbidæ for a beak like that of the English carrier, or that of the short-faced tumbler, or barb; for reversed feathers like those of the

jacobin;

Jacobin;

for a crop like that of the pouter; for tail-feathers like those of the fantail. Hence it must be assumed not only that

half-civilized

half-civilised

man succeeded in thoroughly domesticating several species, but that he intentionally or by chance picked out extraordinarily abnormal species; and further, that these very species have since all become extinct or unknown. So many strange contingencies →are improbable in the highest degree.

Some facts in regard to the colouring of pigeons well deserve consideration. The rock-pigeon is of a slaty-blue, →with white loins; but

(the

the

Indian sub-species, C.

inter- media

intermedia

of Strickland, →has this part bluish. The tail has a terminal dark bar, with the →OMIT outer feathers externally edged →at the base with white. The wings have two black

bars;

bars:

bars.

some

Some

semi-domestic

breeds

breeds,

and some

apparently

....

truly wild

breeds

breeds,

have, besides the two black bars, the wings chequered with black. These several marks do not occur together in any other species of the whole family. Now, in every one of the domestic breeds, taking thoroughly well-bred birds, all the above marks, even to the white edging of the outer tail-feathers, sometimes concur perfectly developed. Moreover, when

two

....

birds belonging to two →or more distinct breeds are crossed,

neither

none

of which

are

blue or

has

have

any of the above-specified marks, the mongrel offspring are very apt suddenly to acquire these

characters;

characters.

→To give one instance out of several which I have observed: — I crossed

some

....

↑

white

some white

fantails, which breed very true, with some black barbs — and it so happens that blue varieties of barbs are so rare that I never heard of an instance in England; and the mongrels were black, brown, and mottled. I also crossed a barb with a spot, which is a white bird with a red