26o A MONOGRAPH OF THE PHEASANTS 



and shot. One finds, here and there, captive birds carefully tended and often tamed. 

 These, however, are exceptional. The great desiderata among the Javanese are hybrids 

 between the wild Junglecock and a domestic hen. 



In spite of reports which came to me frequently, I found no direct proof that the 

 Javan Junglefowl, in a wild state, interbreeds with the native fowls. Even in captive 

 birds this very seldom occurs, and several ingenious methods are resorted to in order to 

 produce the greatly valued hybrids. In some cases the Junglecock is placed in a quake, 

 or round beehive-shaped basket, from which the bottom is removable, and is then 

 excited by the gradual approach, in a second basket, of a wild hen. To allow the two 

 birds to mate would be quite useless, for the wild hen seldom or never lays in captivity. 

 When the cages are close together and the cock is 'crowing and showing off his brilliance, 

 exerting every effort to attract the attention of the female, she is suddenly replaced with 

 a domestic hen, coloured as similarly as possible, and the cock is allowed access to her 

 cage. Were this strategy not resorted to, he would have nothing to do with the 

 domestic bird. Most of the inhabitants of the small Kangean islands seem to be 

 engaged in this curious industry, and the numerous hybrids which one sees in all parts 

 of Madura and Java come from these places. Hardly a house is to be seen which has 

 not from two to six of these hybrids or bekisars, each in its separate basket, hung on 

 branches in the compound or in the shelter of some outhouse. I secured evidence 

 which seemed satisfactory that the Kangean islanders had been engaged in this hybrid- 

 making for well over two hundred years. At present about fifty bekisars are exported 

 to Madura and Java each month. 



The more usual method of capture in Kangean is by means of a long, narrow net, 

 which is suspended between the bushes of a hedge and a rice-field. The Junglefowl 

 come down in late afternoon and pass by certain favourite openings through the bushes 

 into the fields. Just before dusk the hinder side of the net is lowered to the ground, 

 and then several natives rush with cries and much beating of sticks through the fields. 

 This frightens the birds, which never rise if they can avoid doing so, but with lowered 

 heads run swiftly for the shelter of the bushes. Well knowing that their only safety lies 

 in this direction, they strive to push on even after they encounter the net. When well 

 entangled the front of the net is dropped and the birds are caught. 



The usual food of both wild birds and hybrids in captivity is bananas and unhulled 

 rice, while cooked rice is now and then given as a special delicacy. 



The raison d'etre for these hybrids and their subsequent history is as interesting as 

 their origin. Whatever characters of pattern and pigment are dominant or recessive, 

 that of the voice is decidedly in the former class. I do not recall hearing any wild bird 

 of equal size, unless it be the chachalaca in Mexico, which excels these hybrids in vocal 

 power. They are able to give utterance to a sound, a scream, which must carry for 

 nearly a mile. There is no cadence, no rhythm, no pleasing quality whatever. It is 

 simply a blatant utterance, as strange as the idea of a hybrid itself must always be to us. 

 Some excel others in power and endurance, and there is likewise a great variety in 

 colours, due to the inherent strain of the mother. It is difficult to think that even the 

 Javanese, with their ideas of music, so unlike our own, can derive pleasure from this 

 sound, but be that as it may, they find its quality and continuity, characters well adapted 

 for gambling upon, and prize fowls are matched with as great interest and excitement 



