214 THE STORY OF BIRD-LIFE. 



certainly come very near. Such are the jungle- 

 fowls, pheasants and partridges, grouse, quails, 

 francolins and curassows, for instance. 



It is interesting to note here that it is the 

 red jungle-fowl from which all our breeds of 

 domestic poultry are descended, though some of 

 these varieties would scarcely be recognised as 

 such, the Polish, Cochin-chinas, and rumpless 

 fowls being extremely modified types. One of 

 the Japanese fowls has the tail feathers developed 

 to an enormous extent, in some individuals to as 

 much as fifteen feet. 



More or less close allies of the game-birds — 

 strange as it may seem — are the ducks, geese 

 and swans. The apparent incongruity of such 

 an alliance is however much lessened when we 

 come to study what may be regarded as the an- 

 cestral form from which the rest have sprung. 



This is a South American bird known as tho 

 screamer (Falamedea) which in size, about equals 

 a turkey. 



In many respects this bird may be regarded 

 as a connecting link between the game-birds, 

 and the duck and goose tribe of which it is 

 undoubtedly a member. Its skull is very like 

 that of a game-bird. The feet, unlike all the 

 other members of the goose-tribe, are not webbed, 

 though in spite of this the bird is a powerful 

 swimmer. Its wings are armed with powerful 

 spurs and in this it diff"ers from the game-birds, 

 and the remainder of its own and closer allies. 

 Some of the habits of Chauna, another member 

 of the same family as the Falamedea or horned 

 screamer, have already been described (page 93). 



