JAVAN JUNGLEFOWL 267 



ceased or been turned into another channel, while the juvenile colours again flowed and 

 functioned. 



In following the development from chick to adult, confining ourselves always to 

 corresponding centres of plumage, we find two paths of pigment evolution : first, sandy- 

 brown, red-brown, dark-brown, black, and iridescent green ; and second, whitish-buff, 

 pale straw, yellowish, orange-yellow, orange and deep orange-red. This is well illus- 

 trated by the inner secondaries, which, in the retention of juvenile characters (permanently 

 in the female, and longer than any other area in the developing cock) are the most 

 generalized feathers of the plumage. They are mottled and barred with sandy-brown 

 and whitish-buff. If we proceed from them mantlewards, we find them leading through 

 feathers with more and more black until this culminates in the extreme of green 

 iridescence. Covertwards, the pale edges increase and change through the yellows to a 

 rich orange-red. 



HYBRIDS 



I have given what data I could in regard to the origin and uses of the bekisars or 

 hybrid cocks between the wild Junglecock and domestic hen. In coloration there are 

 two general types, derived through the mother from the red and the cream-coloured 

 Malay game. These two colours are always most apparent and the last to disappear on 

 the wing-coverts. The extreme of the red type is where the violet and green iridescence 

 have spread over the body until they almost or quite obliterate all other pigments. 

 I secured a young cock in which the red is reduced to narrow fringes on the coverts 

 and rump. The bill, face, feet, and legs, and most of the comb and wattle are jet black. 



The extreme of the cream type is pure white throughout. I have a poor specimen, 

 which is whitish in general, with golden-yellow fringe on the hackles, but dirty cream 

 on the coverts and back, with the wings and tail part white, part metallic green. 



The neck hackles of the first generation hybrids are much like those of varius, but 

 with narrow margins of buff or red. The sub-auricular flaps or wattles are often of large 

 size. The green area on the comb is usually replaced with the red, and the yellow 

 on the wattle with bluish white. In pure white birds this area may be sulphur- yellow. 

 The irides of all are pale, but orange instead of yellow. The shape and colour of the 

 comb are like those of the domestic cock, while the median wattle is as in varius. After 

 death, however, the basal part of the comb, which is greenish in varius, at once turns 

 fleshy white, while the remainder holds its deep red hue for many days before slightly 

 fading. Occasionally a bird will be found with both comb and wattle as in varius, and 

 exaggerated both in size and colour. The rarity of such types of birds is attested by 

 the high price at which they are held. 



The general character of the crow and the power of flight are both like those in the 

 wild fowl. In general size the hybrids excel both parents. 



The second generation are known in many places as kekoks. This is probably 

 a contraction of bekikko, a name which in Western Java is given to the wild red 

 junglefowl. The aptness is apparent when we see that in the majority of these kekoks 

 the plumage reverts to the gallus type. The hackles become long and lose much or 

 all of the violet. While the median wattle may be well developed in life, its two 

 dermal walls are attached so loosely that after death it splits, and the throat shows 



