Chap. VII. THEIR PARENTAGE. 235 



be specifically distinct, and were named G. cenevs. Mr. Blyth and others 

 believe 'that the G. Temminckii 18 (of which the history is not known) is a 

 similar hybrid. Sir J. Brooke sent me some skins of domestic fowls from 

 Borneo, and across the tail of one of these, as Mr. Tegetmeier observed 

 there were transverse blue bands like those which he had seen on the tail- 

 feathers of hybrids from G. varius, reared in the Zoological Gardens. This 

 fact apparently indicates that some of the fowls of Borneo have been slightly 

 affected by crosses with G. varius, but the case may possibly be one of 

 analogous variation. I may just allude to the G. giganteus, so often re- 

 ferred to in works on poultry as a wild species; but Marsden, 19 the first 

 describes speaks of it as a tame breed ; and the specimen in the British 

 Museum evidently has the aspect of a domestic variety. 



The last species to be mentioned, namely, Gallus hcmkiva, has a much 

 wider geographical range than the three previous species; it inhabits 

 Northern India as far west as Sinda, and ascends the Himalaya to a%eight 

 of 4000 ft. ; it inhabits Burmah, the Malay peninsula, the Indo-Chinese 

 countries, the Philippine Islands, and the Malayan archipelago as far 

 eastward as Timor. This species varies considerably in the wild state 

 Mr. Blyth informs me that the specimens, both male and female, brought 

 from near the Himalaya, are rather paler coloured than those from other 

 parts of India; whilst those from the Malay peninsula and Java are 

 brighter coloured than the Indian birds. I have seen specimens from these 

 countries, and the difference of tint in the hackles was conspicuous ' The 

 Malayan hens were a shade redder on the breast and neck than the Indian 

 hens. The Malayan males generally had a red ear-lappet, instead of a 

 white one as in India; but Mr. Blyth has seen one Indian specimen without 

 the white ear-lappet. The legs are leaden blue in the Indian, whereas 

 they show some tendency to be yellowish in the Malayan and Javan speci 

 mens In the former Mr. Blyth finds the tarsus remarkably variablein 

 length. According to Temminck^ the Timor specimens differ as a local 

 ace from that of Java. These several wild varieties have not as vet 

 been ranked as distinct species; if they should, as is not unlikely be 

 hereafter thus ranked, the circumstance would be quite immaterial as 



b a ted rid G^ h A , ^^ ^ Cl0Sdy With the black " 

 breasted red Game-breed, m colouring and in all other respects except 



S S *> -d in the tail being carried more hori^.^grt 

 the manner m which the tail is carried is highly variable in I 



*!ErS?£z tf r rentinfo r me > the L ^~*™z 



xviaiays, is erect m the Games and some other breeds and is morp 

 first moulted are replaced during two or three months, not by other 



'fto^M-^U ^ ~^^ a a Mn e t8pC oio, 



"The punge from Marsden is -V, i„ ., Cm ^ i , cel1 ^noral sor l'Inde Ar- 



*■ b y M„ Dixon in his 'vZ^y t^S^m S ■*' r (1 f » A "' 1?7: 



Book.' p. 176. No ornithology n2 ZZ^olf^^ *-*■ 



