September, 1846.] 103 



Back of head and neck with black linear feathers, not so 

 much like hackles, as those of the other bird. Breast, beneath 

 and sides, whitish. Tail nearly plucked out, as in the other; 

 upper tail-coverts, full and pendant. The bare flesh around the 

 eye in both birds is tinged with blue. 



The sounds which these birds utter are also intermediate, but 

 partake much more of the harshness of the guinea fowl, although 

 tbey occasionally cluck not unlike the common hen. 



They are shy, wild and resentful, boldly attacking any one who 

 irritates them. They have several times escaped from custody, 

 and flown a hundred yards or more, when they alight and run 

 with great celerity. 



The sex of these birds has not been determined with certainty, 

 but the male characters seem to predominate. During the four 

 years they were on the farm, they were never observed to have 

 sexual intercourse with any other fowls. It is designed on a 

 future occasion to notice their anatomical peculiarities, when 

 the productive organs will be carefully examined. 



It has been remarked by a distinguished naturalist, that "many 

 of the birds which compose the gallinaceous order, appear to 

 be less difficult to unite with strange species, than those of any 

 other order. From the great majority of pheasants, mongrels 

 may thus be produced ; all the Hoccos (Crax) will couple together 

 in a state of domestication ; the pheasant will ally with the cock ; 

 the last with the turkey, with which the hoccos born in the do- 

 mestic state will also unite. It appears, in fact, very possible to 

 produce mongrels from the major part of those gallinas which 

 are suceptible of cultivation."* 



The latter remark receives strong corroboration from the facts 

 we have adduced in this paper; and we believe that a hybrid 

 progeny between the guinea fowl and common fowl is now for 

 the first time made knowu to naturalists. The fact derives its 

 peculiar interest from the remoteness of the genera which have thus 

 produced an intermediate variety. 



* Griffith's Cuvier, VIII. pp. 173, 175, 176. Prichard, Researches 

 into the Physical History of Mankind, 1, p. 140. 3d ed. 



