332 ECONOMIC ZOOLOGY AND ENTOMOLOGY 



them, with all their extraordinary variety of crests, and ruffs, 

 and tails and plumage pattern, and all their various special 

 manners such as tumbling, dancing, and the like, are descended 

 from a single wild species, the common rock dove, Columba 

 lima, of Europe, Asia and North Africa. 



The domestic races of chickens are by some naturalists also 

 held to be descended from a single wild species, the jungle fow r l, 

 Callus bankiva, which ranges from Hindukoosh to the Chinese 

 island of Hainau and through most of the Indonesian islands. 

 But other naturalists believe that one or two other wild species 

 of fowl are concerned in the ancestry of our barnyard hen. 



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FIG. 146. Wild jungle fowls, Callus bankiva, of India. (After Brown.) 



The domestic ducks are derived from the wild duck, Anas 

 boschas, and have evidently originated from this ancestor inde- 

 pendently both in China and in Europe. The domestic geese 

 seem to have an older origin than the ducks; in fact, geese are 

 probably the oldest of domesticated birds. The ancestor of 

 our races is the wild species, Anas cinereus. The Chinese races, 

 however, are descended from Anas cygmoides, and the early 

 Egyptians seem to have tamed and used the Nile goose, 

 Chenalopex egyptiaca. 



The domesticated peacocks are descended from a wild species 



