365 
That species belonging to two distinct genera cannot cross is 
shown to be erroneous from the instances which I have adduced, 
and which I will briefly recapitulate. Among mammals, hares 
with rabbits, jackal and domestic dog. Among birds, male 
Ectopistes migratorius and the Turtur risorius, fantail pigeon 
and collared dove, Cervulus vaginalis and Phasianus reeveswi, 
common fowl and pheasant, golden pheasant and common 
pheasant, reeves pheasant and golden pheasant, Amherst and 
golden pheasant, common pheasant and grey hen or black-cock, 
black grouse and hazel grouse, black grouse and willow grouse, 
willow grouse and barn-door fowl, red grouse and ptarmigan, 
wild duck and pintail, wild and Muscovy duck, common duck 
and wigeon, common shieldrake and mountain goose, tufted 
duck and white-eyed duck, summer duck and pochard, canaries 
and bullfinches, and many of the finches (see page 346). 
Next arises the question—Are species belonging to two 
distinct families unable to breed together, as has been asserted? 
Among mammals, I have instanced a male ape breeding with a 
baboon in the Regent’s Park Zoological Gardens ; and a second 
instance was recorded by Blyth in Asia. Some fish of different 
families have likewise been said to interbreed, but the evidence 
is hardly conclusive. 
The question now arises—Does the fertility of hybrids 
extend to the second generation? Mr Thursfield recorded a 
hybrid between a buck hare and a doe rabbit. This hybrid 
crossed with. a wild rabbit, and had one young one; and eight 
_times with tame ones. A zebu was crossed with a gayal, and 
the female hybrid produced with an American bison. A gayal 
was crossed with our domestic cattle and of the hybrids produced, 
all the females paired with an ordinary European bull were 
fertile. The mouffion and domestic sheep were crossed, and the 
cross-bred offspring were fertile if re-crossed with either of the 
parent species. A hybrid between a zebra and an ass covered 
a small mare, and had a foal. Among birds, a hybrid 
between a barn-door fowl and a pheasant was crossed with a 
pheasant, and two of the offspring were presented to the 
Zoological Society. A cock golden pheasant and a hen Amherst 
