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On now
crossing these two sets of mongrels with each other, he obtained a bird
of a beautiful blue colour, with the barred and white edged tail, and
double-banded wings, so as almost exactly to resemble a wild
rock-pigeon. This bird was descended in the second generation from a
pure white and pure black bird, both of which when unmixed breed their
kind remarkably true. These facts, well known to experienced
pigeon-fanciers, together with the habits of the birds, which all like
to nest in holes, or dovecots, not in trees like the great majority of
wild pigeons, have led to the general belief in the single origin of all
the different kinds.
In order to afford some idea of the great differences which exist among
domesticated pigeons, it will be well to give a brief abstract of Mr.
Darwin's account of them. He divides them into eleven distinct races,
most of which have several sub-races.
RACE I. _Pouters_.--These are especially distinguished by the enormously
enlarged crop, which can be so inflated in some birds as almost to
conceal the beak.


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