336 SONNERAT'S WILD COCK. 



Sonneratii will be seen by an inspection of the cuts on the 

 opposite page. I procured feathers from the neck of the G-al- 

 lus Bankiva, and also from that of the Gallus Furcatus, as 

 well as from the Wild Cock of Sonnerat, so that the reader 

 may satisfy himself of two things : first, that the three birds 

 in question are quite distinct varieties ; and that it is scarcely 

 possible they are in any way the progenitors of our Domestic 

 Poultry, as some have asserted. That the Wild Fowls do not 

 mix or cross with each other, is obvious from the fact that 

 they are all remarkably uniform in size, plumage, and general 

 appearance. The gentleman above referred to, told me that 

 the two or three hundred on shipboard were all as much alike 

 as any flock of wild birds he ever saw. 



The female of Sonnerat' s Cock is about one-third less than 

 he; she is rather a plain-looking bird, having scarcely any 

 comb or wattles. On the back, she is of a dirty brown-colour ; 

 and on the breast, the feathers are of a dull white, each laced 

 with black or brown. The plumage has no trace of the flat 

 horny structure which adorns the neck-hackles of the male ; nor 

 is any part of his plumage so, except the neck ; at least, the 

 rump-hackles* have it only, if at all, in a very slight degree. 

 I could not, on .inspection, perceive that they had any. 



The Bankiva Hen is scarcely so large as Sonnerat's, and is 

 a still plainer looking bird ; her prevailing colour is brown, 

 the breast is of a rather livelier hue than the tack ; and she 

 also has little or no show of comb or wattles. 



Doctor Latham says, that Sonnerat's Cock is by far the boldr 

 est and strongest, in proportion to his size, of any other ; and 

 that the Cock-fighters of Hindostan anxiously seek him, as he 

 rarely fails to secure a victory over the largest Game Cocks. 



The specimens from which the drawings were made, were 

 purchased by Thomas B. Wilson, Esq., of Pennsylvania, at the 

 sale of the Duke of Rivoli's collection, and by him presented 

 to the Academy of Natural Science of Philadelphia. 



* On clost;v inspection I found the rump hackles so characterized alo. 



