ORIGIN OF THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 25 



strong and very harsh, and the young do not arrive at full 

 plumage until more than half grown. 



There was, some years ago, in the Edinburgh Museum of 

 Natural History, and probably still is, a very fine specimen of 

 the St. Jago fowl ; it was said to have been brought direct from 

 Sumatra, and, in most respects, closely resembled the common 

 large varieties of domestic cock. In this specimen the comb 

 extended backwards in a line with the eyes ; was thick, slightly 

 raised, and rounded on the top, almost as if it had been cut ; the 

 throat bare, and furnished with two small wattles. The neck 

 and throat hackles of a golden reddish color, some of them also 

 springing before the bare space of the throat ; the hackles about 

 the rump, and base of the tail, pale reddish yellow, long and 

 pendent ; the centre of the back, and smaller wing coverts, of a 

 deep chestnut brown, the feathers having the webs disunited ; 

 the tail very full, and of a glossy green color. The greater 

 wing coverts of a glossy green, with the secondaries and quills 

 of a faint golden yellow ; under parts of a deep, glossy, black- 

 ish green, with the base of the feathers a deep chestnut brown, 

 occasionally interrupted, so as to produce a mottled appearance. 

 This bird measured very nearly thirty inches in height, comb 

 included, and, of course, allowance must be made for the shrink- 

 ing of the skin ; the living bird must have been upwards of 

 thirty-two inches high. 



The Bankiva fowl is a native of Java, and is characterized 

 by a red, indented comb, red wattles, and ashy-gray legs and feet. 

 The comb of the cock is scolloped, and the tail elevated a little 

 above the rump, the feathers being disposed in the form of tiles 

 or slates ; the neck-feathers are gold color, long, dependent, and 

 rounded at the tips ; the head and neck are of a fawn color ; the 

 wing coverts a dusky brown and black ; tail and belly, black. 

 The color of the hen is a dusky ash-gray and yellow ; her 

 comb and wattles much smaller than those of the cock, and, 

 3 



