CHAPTER IV. 
THE BREEDS OF POULTRY. 
Owine to the large number of breeds of poultry and the great 
variety of characteristics which they possess, it is necessary to 
arrange them in a definite and logical fashion if they are to be 
studied successfully. Two classifications—one based on place 
of origin, and another on commercial possibilities—will best 
serve to familiarize one with the various types and breeds.. 
Fia. 37.—Pair of jungle fowl (Gallus bankiva), one of the ancestors of the present 
domestic breeds. The light, active breeds resemble this ancestor. (Photos of Figs. 37 and 
38 by the Station of Experimental Evolution, Cold Spring Harbor, L. I.) 
It is the purpose of this chapter to give a general discussion 
of the breeds of poultry as we know them to-day, consider the 
origin of the domestic breeds, and give a classification of them. 
Origin of the Domestic Fowl.—The domestic fowl belongs to 
a group of scratching birds which includes turkeys, guinea-fowls, 
pheasants, partridges, and others. The progenitors of the domes- 
tic hen of to-day were wild species, and it is probable that it 
originated from the crosses or mingling of the blood of two quite 
different species, the most important one being the wild fowl 
common in the jungles of India and Southern China, which is 
known as Gallus bankiva (Fig. 37). 
The jungle fowl is about one-third the size of the domesticated 
one, having a flattened tail, single comb, and wattles resembling 
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