The variation of animals and plants under domestication . ted in animperfect tail 34 feathers. In Madras, as I am informed by Sir 32 is the standard number; but in England number ismuch less valued than the position and expansion of the tail. Thefeathers are arranged in an irregular double row; their permanentfanlike expansion and their upward direction are more remark-able characters than their increased number. The tail is capableof the same movements as in other pigeons, and can be depressedso as to sweep the ground. It arises from a more expanded basisthan in other pigeons; and i
The variation of animals and plants under domestication . ted in animperfect tail 34 feathers. In Madras, as I am informed by Sir 32 is the standard number; but in England number ismuch less valued than the position and expansion of the tail. Thefeathers are arranged in an irregular double row; their permanentfanlike expansion and their upward direction are more remark-able characters than their increased number. The tail is capableof the same movements as in other pigeons, and can be depressedso as to sweep the ground. It arises from a more expanded basisthan in other pigeons; and in three skeletons there were one ortwo extra coccygeal vertebrae. I have examined many specimensof various colours from different countries, and there was no traceof the oil-gland; this is a curious case of abortion. The neck 12 Annals and Mag. of Nat. birds; but Nitzsch (in his Ptery-nistory. vol. xix., 1847, p. 105. lojrniphie. 1S40. p. .55) states that 13 This gland occurs in most it is absent in two species of Co- Chap. V. DESCRIPTION OF BREEDS. 151. lumba, in several species of Psit-taeus, in some species of Otis,and in most or all birds of the Osd-jcli It can liardly lit-an accidental coincidence that tin*two species of Coiiind)a, which 152 DOMESTIC PIGEONS. Chap. V. is thin and bowed backwards. The breast is broad and protuber-ant. The feet are small. The carriage of the bird is very ditier-ent from that of other pigeons; in good birds the head touches thetail-feathers, which consequently often become crumpled. Theyhabitually tremble much: and their necks have an extraordinary,apparently convulsive, backward and forward movement. Goodbirds walk in a singular manner, as if their small feet were to their large tails, they fly badly on a windy day. Thedark-coloured varieties are generally larger than white Fantails. Although between the best and common Fantails, now existingin England, there is a vast difference in the position and size ofthe tail, in
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