372 BEITISH BIRDS. 



interbreed with it ; it also extends into Burma, Malayans, and 

 to Timor. This bird is subject to considerable variation in 

 different localities. Our black-breasted red game resemble it 

 in most points save in that the tail of G. liankiva is carried 

 horizontally whilst the game tail is carried erect. The chicks of 

 G. hankiva are hatched in twenty days, and eggs are laid from 

 January to July. There is not the least doubt but that the 

 Burmese and Arakan breeds are descended from G. bankiva, 

 having acquired by selection yellow legs and greater size. 



The nearest ally to G. bankiva is G. Stanleyi, the Ceylon 

 Jungle Fowl, which chiefly differs in that it has a yellow comb 

 edged with red and a reddish breast. This species never lives 

 in captivity for any length of time, a feature we may well note 

 in connection with the origin of our domestic birds. 



The Sonnerat Jungle Fowl {G. Sonneratii) is found in the 

 south of India, and is distinguished by the flattened shafts 

 of the hackle - feathers of the cock, which resemble spots of 

 creamy sealing-wax. The crow is very peculiar, quite milike 

 that of the domestic cock or red jungle fowl, and the eggs are 

 described as being of a pinky-cream colour. This species is not 

 nearly so easily domesticated as G. bankiva, with which, how- 

 ever, it interbreeds both wild and in confinement. 



The last species is the Fork-tailed Fowl or Javan Jimgle Fowl 

 {G. furcatus), which inhabits Java and some of the islands in 

 the Malay Archipelago. The neck is metaUic green, the saddle 

 hackles orange with a brown centre, and the two central tail- 

 feathers curved out in a forked manner ; the comb is greenish- 

 red or yellow, and quite clean at the edge, no serrations being 

 seen. ISTumerotis crosses with domestic fowls have been pro- 

 duced, and it is said that two other supposed species, G. 

 Temmickii and G. ameus, have arisen in this way. 



There is little doubt but that G. bankiva has given rise to the 

 various domestic breeds, and may possibly have been helped to 

 some extent by G. Sonneratii, these breeds having originated 

 by artificial selection and breeding. The longer animals and 



