

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 J — is second only to the dog in its close 

 association with man. It seems to have been domesti- 

 cated first in Burma, and was introduced into China 

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

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

 nor by Homer, nor figured on ancient Egyptian monu- 

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

 indicating that it came to them from the Far East 

 through Persia. The common or barn-door fowl is 

 assigned to the genus Gallus, of which there are four 

 wild species. It is very closely related to the pheasants 

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



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

 very ancient story of " Renard the Fox." 



