88 M. Sundevall on the Birds of Calcutta, 



doos also, who do not themselves kill or eat animals^ reai* poultry 

 to sell to Europeans. These bnds are similar to our own, and of 

 as many varieties : possibly some have been brought thither from 

 Europe. I often inquired whether any yellow or horn-like spots 

 are seen on the neck-feathers of any variety, as in the wild Gal- 

 lus Sonnerati of India, but nothing of the kind w^as detected, nor 

 any cocks with a blue margined or undivided comb on the head, 

 such as other wild species have. It is reported that wild poultry 

 are found in the Sunderbunds, which is very probable, as Gallus 

 bankiva, Temm., which is indubitably the origin of the domestic 

 fowl, is said to occur in many parts of India. 



70. Perdiw. I was informed that partridges are found near 

 Calcutta, and even that they are abundant ; but as I never saw 

 any, I cannot say what species was intended. They were said 

 to resemble P. cinerea. 



Wild pea-fowls {Pavo cristatus) are also said to occur in the 

 uninhabited districts. I saw two which were said to be caught 

 in the country, but nothing certain was learnt as to the place 

 where they were taken, except that they were from " the jungles,^^ 

 and the same was the case with most of the wild animals which 

 I saw in captivity ; but whether the jungles around Calcutta or 

 in Nepal or the Sunderbunds w6re intended, could not in general 

 be decided. Jungle is an original Indian word which is now 

 adopted in English to express a forest : it commonly implies 

 the dense thickets of bamboos and bushes which prevail every- 

 where. 



Pavo bicalcaratus, Linn., was also seen caged, and was said to 

 be from jungles far up the country. Various other gallinaceous 

 birds occurred tame or in confinement as rarities, e. g. gold and 

 silver pheasants from China. Guinea-fowls {Numida meleagris) 

 are kept in some places, as at the Government garden at Seram- 

 pore, where some had lived and propagated for many years in 

 company with a flock of Axis Deer, without any other superin- 

 tendence than that of being prevented from escaping, 



71. Grus antigone, L., Wagl. Syst. no. 10. Cinerea capite toto 

 nude, rubro, vertice cinereo. 



(Indiv, vetus Martio.) Collum supra medium albidum, supremo 

 breviter nudum, et ut caput rubrum. Iris rubra. Remiges posticoe 

 parum lacerse, vix pendulae. Altitude euntis 5 pad. In hoc indi- 

 viduo rostrum et pedes fuscescentia, obscura ; remiges et cauda sa- 

 turate cinereae. 



I did not see in a wild state this elegant Crane, which closely 

 resembles our common species, but is twice the size ; it can erect 

 itself to a height of full three ells from the ground. It is the 

 largest in the genus, and is one of the birds which come nearest 



