wing cases show inheritance at
corresponding periods more plainly, because they refer to peculiarities
which might have supervened, as far as we can see, earlier or later in
life, yet are inherited at the same period at which they first appeared.

In the Lambert family the porcupine-like excrescences appeared in the
father and sons at the same age, namely, about nine weeks after {77}
birth.[164] In the extraordinary hairy family described by Mr.
Crawfurd,[165] children were produced during three generations with
hairy ears; in the father the hair began to grow over his body at six
years old; in his daughter somewhat earlier, namely, at one year; and
in both generations the milk teeth appeared late in life, the permanent
teeth being afterwards singularly deficient. Greyness of hair at an
unusually early age has been transmitted in some families. These cases
border on diseases inherited at corresponding periods of life, to which
I shall immediately refer.

It is a well-known peculiarity with almond-tumbler pigeons, that the
full beauty and peculiar character of the plumage does not appear until
the bird has moulted two or three times. Neumeister describes and
figures a breed of pigeons in which the whole body is white except the
breast, neck, and head; but before the first moult all the white
feathers acquire coloured edges. Another breed is more remarkable: its
first plumage is black, with rusty-red wing-bars and a crescent-shaped
mark on the breast; these marks then became white, and remain so during
three or four moults; but after this period the white spreads over the
body, and the bird loses its beauty.[166] Prize canary-birds have their
wings and tail black: "this colour, however, is only retained until the
first moult, so that they must be exhibited ere the change takes place.
Once moulted, the peculiarity has ceased. Of course all the birds
emanating from this stock have black wings and tails the first
year."[167] A curious and somewhat analogous account has been
given[168] of a family of wild pied rooks which were first observed in
1798, near Chalfont, and which every year from that date up to the
period of the published notice, viz. 1837, "have several of their brood
particoloured, black and white. This variegation of the plumage,
however, disappears with the first moult; but among the next