Birds of Celebes: Phasianidae. 



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numerous artificial races it is a commodity of man in all quarters, or almost 

 all. The investigations of Darwin (d 8) leave little doubt that G. ferrugineus 

 is the ancestor of all domestic races of Fowl ; his conclusions show the domestic 

 forms seem to be i)erfectly fertile with G. ferrugineus, but they are more or less 

 sterile when crossed with the three other known wild races ; and domestic races, 

 when crossed ivter se, frequently revert sometimes slightly, sometimes strongly 

 to a Gallus ferrugineus-type of plumage. The voice of the Wild Cock is like 

 that of the ordinary domestic bird, but the terminal note is shorter. Some 

 authorities state that the Wild Fowl is monogamous in the breeding -season, 

 others believe it to be polygamous; Mr. Hume holds it to be "not always poly- 

 gamous", but of unsettled habits in this respect. It is sociable, sometimes almost 

 gregarious, frequenting all sorts of localities, though perhaps preferring, in Mr. 

 Oates' opinion, broken ground and ravines with dense vegetation. 



Gallus lafayettei Less, of Ceylon is easily distinguished from G . ferrugineus 

 by its red breast, from G. sonnerati, India, by its hackles spangled with white or 

 reddish round spots and grey-streaked under-parts, from G.varius (Shaw & Nodd.) 

 of Java, Lombok and Flores by its single dewlap -like wattle, unserrated edge 

 of comb, and many differences of coloration. 



The Phasianidae are notable for their general absence in Celebes. Not 

 counting Gallus ferrugineus, which may — we think must — have been intro- 

 duced and become feral, the only member of the family found there is the little 

 Ewcalfactoria chinensis, a species of wandering habits in some parts. Pheasant- 

 forms abound as far as .Java and Borneo, the latter separated firom South Celebes 

 only by a shallow sea. The following is a list of the genera of Java and 

 Borneo compiled after Mr. Ogilvie-G rant's Catalogue: 



