VERTEBRATA: AVES. 615 



originally an African bird. The common Pheasant (Phasianus 

 Colchicus), though now regarded as an indigenous bird, truly 

 belongs to Asia, and it is asserted that it was really brought to 

 Europe from Colchis by the Greeks ; hence its specific name. 

 The common Fowl is certainly not a native of Europe, and it 

 is usually thought to be a native of Asia or of some of the 

 Asiatic islands ; but its exact original habitat is uncertain, as 

 is the species from which the domestic breeds are descended 

 (commonly said to be the Galhis Bankiva of Java). The 

 introduction of the Fowl into Europe is lost in the mists of 

 antiquity, and it is wholly unknown whence the original stock 

 may have been brought ; though there is really every ground 

 for believing that the typical breed the Game breed is truly 

 descended from the Jungle Cock, or Gallus Bankiva. The 

 domestic Fowl has, however, been found to be a member of 

 the Cave-fauna of France in the early Stone period, which 

 would throw far back its alleged introduction from the 

 East. The Pea-fowl (Pavo) are really natives of Thibet and 

 Hindostan, and were originally brought to Greece by Alex- 

 ander the Great. They were formerly much esteemed as 

 food, but are now regarded merely from an ornamental point 

 of view. 



The Pterodidce, or Sand-grouse, are confined to the Old 

 World, being principally Asiatic and African, and in their 

 long and pointed wings they make an approximation to the 

 Pigeons. 



The Turniridce, or Bush- quails, on the other hand, make an 

 approach to the Charadriidce. amongst the Grallatores. They 

 are found in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. 



The Megapodid&i or Mound-birds, belong to India and Aus- 

 tralia, and have very large feet and long claws. They build 

 immense mounds, often six or eight feet high, and twenty or 

 thirty feet in diameter. They lay their eggs in the centre of 

 these mounds at a depth of two or three feet, and leave them 

 to be hatched by the heat produced by the fermentation of the 

 vegetable matter of the mass. 



The Cracidce, or Curassows, are large heavy birds, allied to 

 the preceding, belonging to Central and South America, and to 

 a great extent arboreal in their habits. The best-known species 

 is the crested Curassow (Crax alector) of Mexico and Brazil. 



Lastly, the Tinamidce, or Tinamous, form an aberrant group 

 of the Gallinacei, with many remarkable features in their inter- 

 nal organisation, and with the striking external character that 

 the tail is exceedingly short or totally wanting. They inhabit 

 South America, and are in many respects intermediate between 



