Origin of Species Variorum

→ not having become 1872

becoming 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ — these species presenting certain 1872

these species having 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ OMIT 1872

in certain respects, 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ OMIT 1872

in most other respects to 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ in most respects; — the occasional re-appearance of the 1872

the 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ black marks 1872

marks occasionally appearing 1859 1860

black marks occasionally appearing 1861 1866 1869

→ — and lastly, the 1872

the 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ we may safely conclude 1861 1866 1869 1872

I can feel no doubt 1859 1860

→ rock-pigeon or Columba 1872

Columba 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ the wild C. livia 1872

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

→ OMIT 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

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

extremes of structure. 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ are in each eminently variable, for 1872

for 1859 1860 1861 1866 1869

→ OMIT 1872

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

freely under domestication;

these

— these

supposed species being quite unknown in a wild state, and their →not having become

nowhere

anywhere

feral; →— these species presenting certain very abnormal

characters

characters,

→OMIT as compared with all other Columbidæ, though so like →OMIT the

rock-pigeon;

rock-pigeon

→in most respects; — the occasional re-appearance of the blue colour and various →black marks in all the breeds, both when kept pure and when crossed; →— and lastly, the mongrel offspring being perfectly fertile; — from these several reasons, taken together, →we may safely conclude that all our domestic breeds

have

are

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

In favour of this view, I may add,

first,

firstly,

that →the wild C. livia 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,

although

that, although

an English carrier or

short-faced

a short-faced

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

that, by

comparing the several sub-breeds of these

breeds,

varieties,

two races,

more especially those brought from distant countries, we can

make

make,

→OMIT between

the

them

→and the rock pigeon, an almost perfect series; so we can in some other cases, but not with all the breeds. Thirdly, those characters which are mainly distinctive of each

breed,

breed

→are in each eminently variable, 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;

→OMIT and the explanation of this fact will be obvious when we

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 historian, "His Majesty by crossing the breeds, which method was never practised before, has improved them astonishingly." About this same period the Dutch were as eager about pigeons as were the old Romans. The paramount importance of these considerations in explaining the immense amount of variation which pigeons have undergone, will

likewise be

obvious when we