THE EVOLUTION OF LIVING BEINGS. 107 



,,the wild Grey-leg goose (A. ferus) ; the young of 

 ,,which can easily be tamed". 



The Peacock. 



Vol. I, p. 305. ,,This is another bird, which has hard- 

 ,,ly varied under domestication, except in someti- 

 ,,mes being white or piebald. Mr. Waterhouse care- 

 fully compared, as he informs me, skins of the wild 

 ,,Indian and domestic bird and they were identical 

 ,,in every respect, except that the plumage of the 

 ,,latter was perhaps rather thicker." 



The Turkey. 



Vol. I, p. 308. ,,It seems fairly well established by 

 ,,Mr. Gould, that the turkey, in accordance with the 

 ,,history of its first introduction is descended from 

 ,,a wild Mexican form which had been domesticated 

 ,,by the natives before the discovery of America, and 

 which is now generally ranked as a local race and 

 ,,not as a distinct species." 



The Guinea-fowl. 



Vol. I, p. 310 ,,is now believed by some natura- 



,,lists to be descended from the Numida ptilorhynca, 

 ,,which inhabits very hot, and, in parts, extremely 

 ,,arid districts in Eastern Africa. Consequently it has 

 ,,been exposed in this country to extremely different 

 ^conditions in life. Nevertheless it has hardly varied 

 ,,at all except in the plumage being either paler or 

 ,,darker colored" l ). 



The Canary-bird. 

 Vol. I, p. 311. It has been crossed with nine or ten 



Italics are mine. 



