246 UTILITARIAN ZOOLOGY 



BIRD (AvES) AS DOMESTICATED ANIMALS 



THE FOWL (GALLUS DOMESTICUS). - - The very numerous 

 breeds of domesticated fowls, some of which differ greatly from 

 one another in appearance, are generally held to be all descen- 

 dants of the Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus bankiva or ferrugineus], 

 which at the present time ranges from North India through 

 South-east Asia and part of the East Indies to the Philippines. 

 Among the domesticated races Game- Fowls most nearly resemble 

 the original type (fig. 1179). 



Fowls are valuable not only because they and their eggs 

 are important articles of diet, but also on account of their 

 feathers, which are put to various uses. Poultry -farming is 

 now rightly regarded as one of those minor agricultural indus- 

 tries upon which the prosperity of the small farmer and the 

 peasant largely depends. A good instance is afforded by the 

 Irish egg-industry. Not many years ago the product was 

 notorious in England on account of the uncertain age of the 

 eggs which were put upon the market; these being only in 

 great demand for election purposes. And the industry, such as 

 it was, benefited the Irish farmer but little, being exploited by 

 persons having no stake in the development of the agriculture 

 of the country. But now, thanks to the co-operative policy of 

 Sir Horace Plunkett, which has been in every way of enormous 

 benefit to Ireland, the Irish eggs, sorted, cleansed, and properly 

 packed, can be sold in the London market within three days 

 after being laid; and the very considerable profits directly benefit 

 the farmers and peasantry. A similar story regarding Irish 

 butter might have been told when the importance of horned 

 stock was emphasized in an earlier paragraph. 



Fowls do not appear to have formed part of the live stock 

 of the prehistoric races of Europe, but that they have been 

 tamed for a long period of time will be gathered from the 

 following quotation (Newton A Dictionary of Birds)'. " Several 

 circumstances seem to render it likely that Fowls were first do- 

 mesticated in Burma or the countries adjacent thereto, and it 

 is the tradition of the Chinese that they received their poultry 

 from the West about the year 1400 B.C. By the Institutes of 

 Manu, the date of which is variously assigned from 1200 to 

 800 B.C., the tame fowl is forbidden, though the wild is allowed 



