. The birds appear to be quite proud of
their power of swelling and puffing themselves out in this way; and I
think it is about as droll a sight as you can well see to look at a
cage full of these pigeons puffing and blowing themselves out in this
ridiculous manner.

The third kind I mentioned--the Fantail--is a small bird, with
exceedingly small legs and a very small beak. It is most curiously
distinguished by the size and extent of its tail, which, instead of
containing twelve feathers, may have many more,--say thirty, or even
more--I believe there are some with as many as forty-two. This bird has
a curious habit of spreading out the feathers of its tail in such a
way that they reach forward, and touch its head; and if this can be
accomplished, I believe it is looked upon as a point of great beauty.

But here is the last great variety,--the Tumbler; and of that great
variety, one of the principal kinds, and one most prized, is the
specimen represented here--the short-faced Tumbler. Its beak is reduced
to a mere nothing. Just compare the beak of this one and that of the
first one, the Carrier--I believe the orthodox comparison of the head
and beak of a thoroughly well-bred Tumbler is to stick an oat into a
cherry, and that will give you the proper relative proportions of the
head and beak. The feet and legs are exceedingly small, and the bird
appears to be quite a dwarf when placed side by side with this great
Carrier.

These are differences enough in regard to their external appearance; but
these differences are by no means the whole or even the most important
of the differences which obtain between these birds. There is hardly
a single point of their structure which has not become more or less
altered; and to give you an idea of how extensive these alterations
are, I have here some very good skeletons, for which I am indebted to my
friend, Mr. Tegetmeier, a great authority in these matters; by means
of which, if you examine them by-and-by, you will be able to see the
enormous difference in their bony structures.

I had the privilege, some time ago, of access to some important MSS. of
Mr. Darwin, who, I may tell you, has taken very great pains and
spent much valuable time and attention on the investigation of these
variations, and getting together all the facts that bear upon them.
I obtained from these MSS. the following summary of the differences
between the domestic breeds of pigeons; that is to say, a notifica