DOMESTIC FOWL 63 



are far more susceptible than otliers to such a 

 change in environment and quickly diverge from 

 the normal. One of these species is the red 

 jungle fowl. Under domestication it soon loses 

 its identity. Owing to this fact, the first people 

 who bred it in captivity, though probably un- 

 familiar with any of the present theories of arti- 

 ficial selection, took advantage of every change of 

 coloring, size, and shape to fit the bird to their 

 needs. 



Thus new breeds, sub-breeds, and varieties 

 rapidly came into existence. At an early date 

 some European breeds were clearly estab- 

 lished. Columella, the famous Eoman agri- 

 cultural writer, in the first years of the Chris- 

 tian era stated that he "particularly reconunends 

 as the best those sorts [of chickens] that have 

 five toes and white ears." Seven breeds are 

 known to have existed in China in 1596, and about 

 the same number were described as Italian by 

 Aldrovandi, in 1600, in his "Natural History." 

 Darwin recognized only twelve breeds, but under 

 the heading of each he named numerous sub- 

 divisions. 



Since the publication of Darwin's "Animals 

 and Plants under Domestication," artificial se- 

 lection has played a greater part in the destiny 

 of domesticated creatures than ever before. 

 Selection has become a definite science, governed 

 by well-established fundamental laws. The re- 



