154 Mr. Blyth^s Commentary 



and Pucrasia m^acrolopha are not seen in the same localities. 

 Both are common on certain ranges about Simla, — the G. albo- 

 cristatus low down, while the P. macrolojjha inhabits the oak 

 and pine forests at higher elevations on the same ranges^^ (P. Z. S. 

 1859, p. 186). 



812. Gallus ferrugineus. 



Of the wild Common Fowl Dr. Jcrdon remarks, " ear-coverts 

 white." He means the white cheek-lappets, which are all but 

 constant in the Indian bird, and much improve its appearance. 

 In the Burmese race the ear-lappets are crimson, like the comb 

 and wattles ; and these, by the way, are small in the hen, not 

 " wanting," as Dr. Jerdon strangely asserts. The Jungle-fowl 

 mostly droops the tail, and has quite a different bearing from that 

 of the domestic races — more Pheasant-like. The outline of Mr. 

 Gould^s figure of Euplocamus vieilloti (B. As. pt. iv.), copied from 

 life, is exactly that of the wild Common Fowl. I have seen the 

 cock strut forth most proudly and majestically, with remarkable 

 grace of action ; and the rapidity of movements of those in 

 the Zoological Gardens must have struck the attention of many 

 observers. A not very good figure of the cock G. sunnerati is 

 given in illustration of a paper by M. Sacc (Rev. Zool. 1863, 

 p. 11, pi. 3) : and the cock G. stanleyi is figured by M. O. 

 des Murs (Icon. Orn. pi. 18) ; but the comb and wattles are 

 represented red and shrunken, instead of yellow with a red 

 edge ! Otherwise the figure is tolerably good ; and both of 

 these plates give the true Pheasant-like contour of the different 

 wild Jungle-fowl. The hens of G. ferrugineus, G. stanleyi, 

 and G. varius are figured together in one plate by Gen. Hard- 

 wicke (111. Ind. Zool.)*. The Indian G. ferrugineus I have found 

 most difficult to tame if captured when adult — far more so than 

 G.sonnerati and G. stanleyi, or, indeed, than any other game- 

 bird that I have had experience of; not so the Burmese race, 

 which is more Bantam-like in appearance, and has a somew^hat 

 coarser leg. This coarseness of the leg is greater in all the 

 domestic races ; but it is not observable in domestic Peafowl, 

 Turkeys, and Guinea-fowl, as compared with the wild birds of 



* lu the hen G. xtanleyi the small comb and wattles are wholly yellow. 



