172 CHARACTERS OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS 



Order lo. — Game- Birds (Gallinse) 



One has only to think of the appearance of ordinary fowls 

 to realize the leading characteristics of this order. The body 

 is plump and supported on strong legs adapted for rapid pro- 

 gression, and provided with strong claws suitable for scratching 

 up the ground. The neck is fairly long, and the rounded head 

 is provided with a strong beak, the upper half of which projects 

 beyond the lower. The young are precocious, and soon able to 

 look after themselves. 



All the various domestic breeds of fowls, despite their extreme 

 diversity in appearance, would appear to be descendants of the 

 Red Jungle-Fowl [Gallus Bankivd), a species which ranges across 

 North India from Kashmir to Assam, and also extends farther 

 east as far as the Philippines. In general appearance these birds 

 much resemble game-fowls, and, like their tame relatives, possess 

 a notched fleshy comb, and a pair of wattles hanging from the 

 throat. 



Jungle-fowl are closely related to the Pheasants, which have 

 a wide range in the Old World. The common Pheasant 

 {Phasianus Cokhicus) is not a native of this country, but of Asia 

 Minor and South-east Europe. Other species extend the distri- 

 bution of the group to East Asia, which must be considered its 

 head-quarters. The male bird, as in so many other cases, is 

 much more brightly coloured than the female, and this difference 

 is emphasized in many exotic forms, as particularly in the 

 Gold and Silver Pheasants {Chrysolophus pictus and Gennceus 

 nycthemerus), both of which are natives of Eastern Europe. 



Conspicuous among domesticated game-birds in this country 

 are the Peacock [Pavo cristaius), found native in India and 

 Ceylon, Guinea- Fowl {Numida meleagris), belonging, as the name 

 indicates, to West Africa, and the Turkey [Meleagris gallopavo), 

 from the southern parts of North America. 



Other well-known inhabitants of Britain are : Partridge [Perdix 

 cinered); Red-legged or French Partridge (Caccabis rufd), intro- 

 duced about a century ago; Quail {Coturnix communis); Caper- 

 cailzie {Tetrao urogallus); Black Grouse (7". tetrix); Red Grouse 

 ( T. Scoiicus) ; and Ptarmigan [Lagopus mufus), the last being 

 remarkable for the changes of plumage exhibited at different 

 seasons of the year. 



