292 Zoological Society. 



suprii excurrente ; laterihus jjallidioribus ; abdomine gvldque rujis, 

 strigd castaned ahdominali ; auriculis longis, angustis, rotundatis 

 subpendentibus et extern^ pills pallid^ flavis indutis, cauddgracili ; 

 vellere denso brevi, at que rigido. 



Sp. 2. Cercoleptes brachyotus. Cercol. vellere denso, molli, 

 et longiusculo, griseo jlavescenti, at brunneo, undato, hoc colore in 

 capite, summoque dorso, saturatiore : abdomine et guld stramineis 

 auriculis latis, mediocribus, et erectis, pilis rarioribus fuscis ex- 

 terne indutis, 



September 2 7, 1836. — A communication from Edward Fuller, Esq., 

 of Carleton Hall, near Saxmundham, was read, which stated that 

 his gamekeeper had succeeded last year in rearing two birds from a 

 barn-door Hen, having a cross from the Pheasant, and a Pheasant 

 cock ; that the birds partook equally of the two species in their ha- 

 bits, manners, and appearance ; and concluded by presenting them 

 to the Society. 



The gamekeeper of Edward Fuller, Esq., in a short note which 

 accompanied the birds, stated that he had bred tiiem, and that they 

 were three-quarter-bred Pheasants. 



The living birds were exhibited at the Meeting, as was also a 

 living hybrid, between the Pheasant and common Fowl, which was 

 one of several that had been some years in the Menagerie of the 

 Society. 



Several specimens of hybrids, from the preserved collection in the 

 Museum of the Society, were placed on the table for exhibition and 

 comparison. These had been bred between the Pheasant and common 

 Fowl, the common Pheasant and the silver Pheasant, and the common 

 Pheasant with the gold Pheasant. 



The specimens of the three-quarter-bred Pheasants were consider- 

 ed interesting, the opinion of the older physiologists having been 

 that animals bred between parents of two distinct species were un- 

 productive. 



Mr. Yarrell stated, that although generally such an opinion pre- 

 vailed there were still exceptions. The Proceedings of the Society 

 for 1831 exhibited one already recorded in Phil. Mag. and Annals, 

 N.S., vol. xi. p. 138. This communication was received from the 

 Honourable Twiselton Fiennes, who having succeeded in rearing a 

 brood between the common Duck and the Pintail, found in the fol- 

 lowing season these hybrids were productive. Other instances are 

 also on record which were adverted to. Mr. Yarrell stated, that he 

 had had opportunities of examining the bodies of hybrids, both of 

 Gallinaceous Birds and Ducks, and found that the sexual organs of 

 the males were of large size, those of the females deficient in size, 

 and not without some appearance of imperfection. The crosses 

 produced by the breeders of Canaries were mentioned, and the 

 objects of obtaining them explained. Mr. Yarrell expressed his belief 

 that the attempt to breed from a hybrid was most likely to be suc- 

 cessful when a male hybrid was put to a female of a true species. 



Mr. Vigors said this was the first instance that had come to his 

 knowledge of a female hybrid being productive, and he had hitherto 



