2 HAROLD C. BINGHAM 



are black with gray edges and white tips; near the end they bear 

 an ornamental yellowish spot. The other feathers of the dorsal 

 side are narrowly striped with white. The ventral side of the 

 body is black, dotted with little white lines, and becomes almost 

 white at the median line. 



Domestication of the Sonnerat Fowl is more difficult than 

 that of Bankiva. We are told that these two wild species will 

 cross but the hybrids are said to be sterile. The sterility of the 

 hybrids and the characteristic differences between tamed Ban- 

 kiva and Sonnerat fowls have frequently been urged as evidence 

 that the latter is not the ancestor of our domestic chick. 



The Ceylon Jungle Fowl, Gallus lafayetti, closely resembles 

 Bankiva. The male is distinguished from Bankiva by the 

 orange-red breast, the long black-striped yellow neck feathers, 

 and the glistening blue-black throat and supra-tail feathers. 

 The slightly notched red comb, bearing on the lower part a 

 large oval yellow spot, is also distinctive. The Ceylon and 

 Bankiva females differ with respect to voice. According to a 

 report of the National Poultry Conference, Reading, England, 

 (cited by Houwink), Lafayetti has been crossed with common 

 fowls and fertile hybrids were obtained. 



The extreme shyness of the Fork-tailed Gangegar, Gallus 

 varius, is a characteristic phase of its behavior indicating that 

 it would not be readily domesticated. At the least noise, it 

 hides in the alang-alang thickets, which makes close observation 

 of this fowl in its natural habitat very difficult. Were it not 

 for the male's noisy voice it would scarcely be noticed. Early 

 morning is the best time to observe it, for it then leaves the 

 thickets for the open places in search of food. 



Gangegar seems to be very remotely related to the three 

 preceding classes. It differs from them in the number of supra- 

 tail feathers, the untoothed comb, and single neck lobe. It 

 also has certain characteristic differences in coloring. 



Of these four groups of wild fowl, Bankiva is most generally 

 regarded as the ancestor of the common chick. Darwin, basing 

 his conclusions chiefly upon structural evidence, is inclined to 

 regard Bankiva as the original stock. "Having kept," he says, 

 "nearly all the English breeds of the fowl alive, having bred and 

 crossed them and examined their skeletons, it appears to me 

 almost certain that all are the descendants of the wild Indian 



