PREHISTORIC ORIGIN OF THE COMMON FOWL. 11 
The Sheep appears to be identical with the ‘‘ Ram of 
Khenmu,” which appears in the writings for 2500 years, long 
after the animal itself had died out. Some authors have con- 
sidered it to be a species of native Sheep long since extinct, but 
it is more reasonable to suppose that it was but an introduction 
from Asia, for we have no evidence pointing to the existence of 
any species of Sheep in Africa other than the anomalous case of 
the Barbary Sheep in the north-west of the continent. 
Both wheat and barley are unquestionably of Asiatic origin, 
and these were unknown in Egypt until the time of the invasion 
of six thousand years ago. Prof. Schweinfurth and M. de Morgan 
have placed this matter beyond doubt, and DeCandolle (Hist. 
Cult. Plants) thinks that the flax was introduced also. Apart from 
this biological evidence we may use the fact that peculiarly formed 
mace-heads are found in the early dynastic tombs. Now, these im- 
plements are not to be distinguished in any way from those found 
in similar situations throughout Babylonia. In Budge’s ‘ History,’ 
vol. i. there is a figure of one of these weapons, and amongst the 
details of the carving we get the sign of the Chicken. 
Although it is quite certain that the ancient Egyptians came 
from Babylonia, we are not so certain as to the original home of 
the great parent race, although we have every reason to believe 
if was in some part of Central Asia. They are said to have 
settled in the country surrounding the Tigris and the Euphrates 
so far back as B.c. 8000, and are said also to have come from the 
north. Perhaps the true home of the Fowl was in Central Asia, 
but the present writers’ knowledge of Mesopotamian language 
and history is too slight to enable them to trace the Fowl be- 
yond z.c. 5000, and at this date we may leave it as being under 
domestication in the vicinity of the Tigris and the Kuphrates.* 
We know absolutely nothing of India at this period. It is 
certain that it was peopled by immigrants from Western and 
Central Asia, but the date is not even approximately known. 
The earliest history of the commerce between India and the 
western nations has been carefully gathered by Mr. J. Kennedy 
(‘Journal’ of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1898, pp. 2381-288) ; 
* Layard’s ‘ Nineveh,’ ii. 895, includes a figure that must be either Cock 
or Pheasant. The original work, if available, would be well worth close 
examination. 
