22 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
Major Firminger, Messrs. 8. P. Jeffrey, P. D. Warren, A. Redemann, 
F. Lewis, and Drs. A. J. Chalmers and J. Llewellyn Thomas. The 
actual experiments commenced in January, 1903. Covered-in 
runs were put up by several members and were made suitable with 
shade and cover for the wild birds. Many birds were brought by 
natives which were said to be hybrids. None however gave any 
evidence of jungle fowl parentage, save perhaps one ; these of course 
were not accepted. Some of these interviews with the native 
vendors were really amusing. For scientific purposes all these so- 
called hybrids were utterly useless, and it became evident that no 
bird was to be trusted unless there was positive proof of its parentage, 
and the only way to ensure this was to begin de novo and first make 
the hybrids. 
It was necessary first to secure the wild birds, tame them down, 
and mate them up with domestic fowls. Attempts were made to 
produce the hybrids both ways, ?.e., by mating the jungle cock with 
domestic hens and by the domestic cock with jungle hens. This 
latter way was a complete failure ; the wild hens would never stand. 
for the domestic cock. On the whole, too, it was found that the 
jungle cocks seemed to be more amenable in captivity than the 
jungle hens. On the other hand, one of the experimenters, the late 
Mr. Young, of Udabage, had two hens that lived in captivity for 
considerably more than one year. 
As much difficulty was anticipated in keeping alive and of taming 
down the adult jungle fowl, attempts were made to secure jungle 
fowl eggs and incubate them. The eggs of course were not easy 
to secure, and in those cases in which they were procured one thing or 
another spoiled the hatch, so that the experimenters were reduced 
to purchasing the captured wild fowl. 
Many and many of these birds died—some did not survive their 
capture by many days. Several survived six weeks or so and then 
died just when hopes of their taming down were high. It was noted 
at the time that these deaths occurred mostly about the fiftieth day 
of captivity ; this probably was a mere coincidence. The causes of 
death were probably fretting and pining for liberty, too small 
runs, and over-feeding. At first the experimenters were only 
just feeling their way and many things were learnt by bitter 
experience, which would be avoided on a future occasion. 
The histories of some of these birds were very interesting, but 
have no bearing on the main issue. The constant failure by deaths 
was very discouraging, with the result that the experimenters were 
reduced to two or three. The untimely death of Mr: Young of 
Udabage by lightning was a great blow to these experiments, Only 
