Some further remarks on the origin of 

 domestic poultry 



by 



E. Cambridge Phillips, F. L. S. etc. 



Since my last paper hereon read at the International 

 Ornithological Congress in 1884 ^ have carried out a few 

 more experiments in crossing different varieties of thorough 

 bred Game fowls. Last year one of my best pure black 

 hens was placed with a pure blackred game cock belonging 

 to a brother of m.ine and the result was most curious; the 

 cocks so I am informed being very handsome dark red 

 birds with spangied breasts, unfortunately through a mistake 

 they were killed before I had an opportunity of seeing them. 

 I however saw the hens and they resembled brown-red game, 

 in fact to all appearances they were heavy brown-red game 

 hens, i. e. hens with black bodies and gold hockles striped 

 with black. It is also remarkable that a black breasted cock 

 put to a pure black hen should produce spangied breasted 

 cocks there is in all our domestic poultry at the present 

 day a great inclination towards spotted breasts which points 

 to the probability of the original or rather the early do- 

 mestic birds being as I have remarked in my previous paper 

 mottled on the breast. 



In breeding black game last year and also white game 

 the chicken in both cases showed a stronger inclination than 

 usual to return to the original red colour of their an- 

 cestors. My experiences this season are almost nit in con- 

 sequence of a bad breeding season and my poultry woman 

 failing t'o rear nearly all my chicken. 



Perhaps the most singular confirmation of my former 

 paper is afforded by a case of birds now in the British 



