OEIGINAIi rOWL.j 



POULTET. 



Ftheoeies. 



the wolf as we liave done the dog. How ia 

 this ? How is it that the wild animals, with 

 which we are acquainted, are now found to be 

 so difficult to be brought into a state of 

 domestication ? Ai'e we in these matters the 

 inferiors of those who lived in pre-historic, or 

 even anti-traditional times ?— for it must have 

 been in these that cattle and poultry were 

 brought under the subjection of a household. 

 These are questions easier put than answered ; 

 but, as the subject may be found discussed in 

 Ornamental Poultry, by Mr. Dixon, we must 

 refer those who are interested in the subject 

 to the pages of that gentleman's work. 



In placing the various arguments, by the 

 different investigators, before his readers, Mr. 

 Eichardson says — " It is candidly acknowledged 

 — and a very important admission it is, though 

 there is no possibility of refusing to make it — 

 tliat the wild types of sevei'al of our domestic 

 animals no longer exist, while that of our fowls 

 is thus precisely indicated ! The wild origin 

 of the camel in the old world, and of the llama, 

 and alpaca, in Chili and Peru, and even of the 

 little guinea-pig, which was found domesticated 

 among the natives of Brazil, is quite un- 

 known. Neither the guanaco, nor still less 

 Mie diminutive vicugna, will suffice for the 

 former, nor the restless and other wild cavies 

 for the latter. Eespecting the wild original of 

 such an every- day and familiar creature as 

 the domestic cat, our knowledge is anything 

 but superabundant. Great doubts are enter- 

 tained whether either the true wild horse, or 

 the true wild ass is known, or the parent of the 

 humped ox (a most decided species) ; and it is 

 far from clear that the so-called wild yaks are 

 the true origin of the tame breeds. Amongst 

 birds, it is not pretended, or even hoped, that 

 the wild stock of the knobbed or China goose 

 (^Anser Cycnoides) is still in existence; although 

 there must be in China several tame breeds of 

 that remarkable bird. The original type has 

 probably been exterminated for ages." 



Of some of our domestic creatures, therefore, 

 there is no idea, among our best-informed 

 naturalists of the present day, of indicating 

 the wild ancestor ; but of others such a notion 

 does prevail. Eespecting a few, there can be 

 little or no doubt. Of the Indian buffalo, 

 there can be no mistake ; nor of the hogs of 

 different countries, from several nearly. related 

 808 



wild races, though the origin of the Chinese 

 hog is probably lost. Amongst domestic birds, 

 the pea-fowl, the turkey, and the guinea-fowl, 

 come from an undisputed parentage, which are 

 still found wild in their native home ; bat there 

 are other companions, of which we are unable 

 to speak with the same degree of certaintv. 

 It is doubted whether we know the true wild 

 origin of the domestic canary-bird. Mr. 

 Blyth actually remarks, " that the albinos (or 

 what can we call them ?) of all green birds 

 (amongst others, the yellow wagtail) are 

 yellow ; for instance, parrots, bee-eaters, &c.;" 

 and, as he observes, the tame canary-bird has 

 a true albino eye ! The origin of the cage 

 turtle-dove is uncertain. The voice of the 

 wild Turtur risorius is quite different. Mr. 

 Hodgson has clearly shown that certain very 

 large and short-tailed Asiatic breeds of sheep 

 are derived from the wild ammon ; the fighting 

 rams of India may have their origin in ovis 

 vignei ; but though the species of Asiatic wild 

 sheep are remarkably numerous, there is no 

 other that seems to have contributed to any 

 domestic race ; and it is probable that the 

 wild origin of the long-tailed, tame, and other 

 sheep, is no longer in existence. The list of 

 " doubtfuls" might be extended; but the ob- 

 ject here is merely to show that there is such 

 a list, and to impress it on the reader's atten- 

 tion. 



Whether the several varieties of Domestic 

 Fowl are of ascertained or doubtful de- 

 scent, must always remain an open question 

 Naturalists, generally, think that it required 

 more than one wild type to produce the many 

 difterent species which we now find adorning 

 the poultry -yard ; whilst Mr. Blyth, who has had 

 great opportunities of observation, adheres to 

 the idea of one Indian species being the common 

 parent of all the forms, sizes, and colours which 

 exist. Notwithstanding this, however, there 

 are circumstances which he acknowledges and 

 points out, suggesting considerable difficulties 

 in the way of establishing his theory. 



As other naturalists affirm that the wild 

 type of our tame cocks and hens has no ex- 

 istence, it is no more than fair that their 

 reasons for entertaining such an opinion should 

 be stated. Geological progress has proved 

 that many species of beasts and birds have be- 

 come extinct, and are now, instead of walking 



