THE GROUSE AND OTHER BIRDS 43 



show some differences of habit, locality, and constitution 

 which emphasize their distinction as a separate " species." 



The order Galliformes of the class Aves or birds is 

 one of some eighteen similar orders of birds. It contains 

 several families, namely, the grouse-birds, the partridges, 

 the francolins (formerly introduced into Italy from 

 Cyprus), the quails, the pheasants, including the common 

 fowl or Gallus, the peacocks, the turkeys, and, lastly, 

 the guinea-fowls. The mound-builders and the South 

 American curassows (very handsome birds to be seen 

 at the Zoological Gardens) are families which have to 

 be separated from the rest as a distinct sub-order. 

 Fifty years ago the pigeons were placed in one order 

 with the galliform birds, which was termed " Rasores," 

 or scratching birds ; but they are now separated under 

 the name Columbiformes. 



All the galliform birds are specially agreeable to man 



as food, and the domesticated race of the jungle-fowl — 



for which we have no proper English name, except that 



of " the " fowl 1 — is second only to the dog in its close 



[association with man. It seems to have been domesti- 



jcated first in Burma, and was introduced into China 



about 1000 B.C., and through Greece into Europe about 



r 600 B.C. It is not mentioned in the Hebrew Scriptures, 



J nor by Homer, nor figured on ancient Egyptian monu- 



|;ments. It was called " the Persian bird " by the Greeks, 



Vindicating that it came to them from the Far East 



i through Persia. The common or barn-door fowl is 



i assigned to the genus Gallus, of which there are four 



) wild species. It is very closely related to the pheasants 



i (genus Phasianus, with several " local " species) ; indeed, 



' "Chanticleer " is the name given to the cock-bird of this species in the 

 ■ very ancient story of " Renard the Fox." 



