^go The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



the birds brought from the Himalayas are paler in tint than those from other parts of India; 

 that those from the Malayan peninsula are brighter-coloured than the Indian birds ; and even that 

 the Malay birds had red deaf-ears, whilst nearly all the Indian specimens had white ears, though 

 he had seen one Indian specimen- without this very distinct characteristic. Mr. Blyth also noted 

 that the legs of most Indian birds were leaden blue, while the Malayan and Javan had a distinct 

 yellowish tinge ; and Mr. Darwin remarks that Malay hens seen by him were redder on the breast 

 and neck than Indian hens. On the whole, however, the bird everywhere very closely resembles the 

 Black-red Game type, and has a good, ordinary, erect, serrated single comb and wattles, resembling 

 those of the domestic variety. The cock is generally a really black-breasted bird when adult, 

 though the chickens mostly have the black mixed with rusty feathers, which is not uncommon in 

 Partridge Cochins and other black-breasted red breeds. The hen also possesses comb and wattles, 

 in which this variety differs from some of the others to be described. On the whole, and allowing 

 for a considerable variety in tint (we have seen that even the Black-breasted Game breed varies 

 very considerably in colour), we may say briefly, that a bird midway between the Game and Game 

 Bantam in size, with rather lower carriage, and with the tail borne almost horizontally, gives a 

 sufficiently accurate idea of the Callus Bankiva. 



This fowl is found to breed very freely with the Domestic Fowl of India, and the progeny is 

 fertile with either parent race. It is also a fact of great weight that the voice of each sex — that 

 of the hen especially— closely resembles that of the domestic bird, though the last note of the 

 crow in the cock is less prolonged. It also appears fairly capable of domestication. 



This Jungle Fowl is very often shot for sport, and is said to afford very pretty shooting. If 

 killed young and hung for a few days, they have a most delicious gamey flavour. " In travelling 

 through a forest country," says Jerdon, " many are always found near the roads, to which they 

 resort to pick up the grain from the droppings of cattle, &c. Dogs often put them up, when they 

 at once fly on to the nearest trees. When cultivated land is near their haunts, they may be seen 

 morning and evening in the fields, often in straggling parties of from ten to twenty." 



GALLUS STANLEYII.— This wild breed is generally stated to be peculiar to the island of 

 Ceylon, but Mr. Trevor Dickens states that it is also met with on the southern slopes of the 

 Ghauts, and in Java. It is very much like the preceding, except that the cock has a red or brown 

 breast, and the comb is almost yellow, but with a red edge. We should be disposed to consider 

 it as practically identical with the Callus Bankiva, but for the very peculiar crow, which both 

 Tennant and Layard describe as closely resembling the words " George Joyce" sharply repeated. 

 The cock often crosses with the domestic breeds ; but Mr. Mitford states that both of two hybrids 

 he possessed which were thus produced were perfectly sterile. Both inherited the voice of the 

 wild parent. This variety has never yet been known to breed in confinement, and, till very lately, 

 no living specimens had ever reached Europe. Early in September, 1873, however, a pair were 

 delivered at the Zoological Society's Gardens in Regent's Park, London ; and, although on arrival 

 there appeared very little chance of their surviving, the skill and care devoted to them had such 

 success, that at the time of a visit we paid, some three weeks later, they were considerably recovered, 

 the cock being half-way through his moult, and improving daily. The male bird of this pair had 

 orange-yellow hackles, a yellowish-red breast, pink legs, and a beautiful bluish-purple saddle. The 

 hackles are true hackle-feathers, but the blue saddle-feathers are broad and rounded at the points, 

 though exceedingly glossy. The comb is short or narrow at the base, expanding at the summit, 

 and both it and the wattles are of the ordinary colour, except that the comb is yellow in the centre. 

 The comb of the hen is very small, though still perceptible ; and her plumage is a plain unobtrusive 



