84 



September 27, 1836. 

 Richard Owen, Esq., in the Chair, 



A communication from Edward Fuller, Esq., of Carleton Hall, 

 near Saxmundham, was read, which stated that his gamekeeper had 

 succeeded last year in rearing two birds from a barn-door Hen, hav- 

 ing a cross from the Pheasant, and a Pheasant cock ; that the birds 

 partook equally of the two species in their habits, manners, and ap- 

 pearance ; and concluded by presenting them to the Society. 



The gamekeeper of Edward Fuller, Esq., in a shoi't note which 

 accompanied the birds, stated that he had bred them, and they were 

 three-quarter-bred Pheasants. 



The living birds were exhibited at the Meeting, as was also a 

 living hybrid, between the Pheasant and common Fowl, which was 

 one of several that had been some years in the Menagerie of the 

 Society. 



Several specimens of hybrids, from the preserved collection in the 

 Museum of the Society, were placed on the table for exhibition and 

 comparison. These had been bred between the Pheasant and common 

 Fowl, the common Pheasant and the silver Pheasant, and the common 

 Pheasant with the gold Pheasant. 



The specimens of the three-quarter-bred Pheasants were consider- 

 ed interesting, the opinion of the older physiologists having been 

 that animals bred between parents of two cUstinct species were un- 

 productive. 



Mr. Yarrell stated, that although generally such an opinion pre- 

 vailed there were still exceptions. The Proceedings of the Society 

 for 1831 exhibited one already recorded at page 158. This com- 

 munication was received from the Honourable Twiselton Fiennes, 

 who having succeeded in rearing a brood between the common Duck 

 and the Pintail, found in the following season these hybrids were 

 productive. Other instances are also on record which were adverted 

 to. Mr. Yarrell stated, that he had had opportunities of examining 

 the bodies of hybrids, both of Gallinaceous Birds and Ducks, and 

 found that the sexual organs of the males •were of large size, those 

 of the females deficient in size, and not without some apj^earance of 

 imperfection. The crosses produced by the breeders of Canaries 

 were mentioned, and the objects of obtaining them explained. Mr. 

 Yarrell expressed his belief that the attempt to breed from a hybrid 

 was most likely to be successful when a male hybrid was put to a 

 female of a true species. 



Mr. Vigors said this was the first instance that had come to his 

 knowledge of a female hybrid being productive, and he had hitherto 



