Breeding and showing Fancy and Racing pigeons in Victorian times was quickly becoming a popular pastime  in conjunction with the poultry and cage bird hobbies, products were being marketed by  companies keen to make a living from this growing hobby.

The advert feaatured below has ' Mocking Birds a speciality ' which I am sure Charles Darwin would have been very interested to have examined them in light of his 3 variations he found whilst on his 'Beagle' voyage