Chap. "VIL 



THEIR PARENTAGE. 



249 



domestic "breeds. But even if it be admitted that G. banhiva 

 is the parent of the Game breed, yet it may be urged that 

 other wild species have been the parents of the other domestic 

 breeds ; and that these species still exist, though unknown, in 

 some country, or have become extinct. The extinction, how- 

 ever, of several species of fowls, is an improbable hypothesis, 

 seeing that the four known species have not become extinct 

 in the most ancient and thickly peopled regions of the East. 

 There is, in fact, not one other kind of domesticated bird, 

 of which the wild parent-form is unknown, that is become 

 extinct. For the discovery of new, or the rediscovery of old 

 species of Gallus, we must not look, as fanciers often look, to 

 the whole world. The larger gallinaceous birds, as Mr. Blyth 

 has remarked, 26 generally have a restricted range : we see 

 this well illustrated in India, where the genus Gallus in- 

 habits the base of the Himalaya, and is succeeded higher up 

 by Gallophasis, and still higher up by Phasianus. Australia, 

 with its islands, is out of the question as the home for 

 unknown species of the genus. It is, also, as improbable 

 that Gallas should inhabit South America 27 as that a 



26 'Gardiner's Chronicle' 1851, p. 

 619. 



27 I have consulted an eminent 

 authority, Mr. Solater, on this subject, 

 and he thinks that I have not expressed 

 myself too strongly. I am aware that 

 one ancient author, Acosta, speaks of 

 fowls as having inhabited S. America 

 at the period of its discovery ; and 

 more recently, about 1795, Olivier de 

 Serres speaks of wild fowls in the 

 forests of Guiana ; these were probably 

 feral birds. Dr. Daniell tells me, he 

 believes that fowls have become wild 

 on the west coast of Equatorial 

 Africa ; they may, however, not be 

 true fowls, but gallinaceous birds 

 belonging to the genus Phasidus. 

 The old voyager Barbut says that 

 poultry are not natural to Guinea. 

 Capt. W. Alien (' Narrative of Niger 

 Expedition,' 1848, vol. ii. p. 42) de- 

 scribes wild fowls on Ilha dos Rollas, 

 an island near St. Thomas's on the 

 west coast of Africa ; the natives in- 



12 



formed him that they had escaped 

 from a vessel wrecked there manj 

 years ago ; they were extremely wild 

 and had "a cry quite different to that 

 of the domestic fowl," and their ap- 

 pearance was somewhat changed. 

 Hence it is not a little doubtful, not- 

 withstanding the statement of the 

 natives, whether these birds really 

 were fowls. That the fowl has 

 become feral on several islands is 

 certain. Mr. Fry, a very capable 

 judge, informed Mr. Layard, in a 

 letter, that the fowls which have run 

 wild on Ascension " had nearly all got 

 back to their primitive colours, red, 

 and black cocks, and smoky-grey 

 hens." But unfortunately we do not 

 know the colour of the poultry which 

 were turned out. Fowls have become 

 feral on the Nicobar Islands (BJvth 

 in the 'Indian Field,' 1858, p. 62), 

 and in the Ladrones (Anson's Voyage). 

 Those found in the Pellew Islands 

 Crawfurd) are believed to be feral 



