R A S R E S. 



291 



enough to leave their foster-mothers, and should a domestic fowl 

 wander a sufficient distance from the dwelling of its master to be heard 

 or seen by the wild ones, a battle ensues, which is almost always fatal 

 to it. 



" The Tahitians often take advantage of this belligerent propensity, 

 to obtain a meal of tough poultry, by tying a cord six or eight feet 

 long to the leg of a dunghill bully, and carrying him to the mountains 

 at early dawn ; the tame cock crows and is answered by the wild one, 

 and from notes of defiance they are led to join in combat. The 

 Tahitian conceals himself, until by the noise of wings he feels assured 

 the strife has commenced, when he comes to the rescue, and generally 

 finds the cord has bound the combatants together. Any person who 

 has seen a cockfight, will readily understand how this has taken place. 

 The wild fowl instantly loses his head, and the tame one renews the 

 conflict with the next wild one within hearing of his notes of defiance. 



" This variety may be indigenous to the group of Society Islands, 

 as it differs in some respects from those of the Indian Ocean, but we 

 cannot but believe them to be specifically the same, and that they 

 were introduced by the Malayan forefathers of the present Tahitians. 

 They give a collateral proof that such was the origin of the human 

 race in Polynesia." 



As stated above, this bird is larger than any specimens of the 

 Asiatic Jungle Cock {G. Bankiva), that we have ever seen, but is of 

 the same colors and general characters. It is either a peculiar and 

 well-marked variety, or a distinct species. 



HEADS OF GALLUS BANKIVA AND TAHITIOUS. 



(Smaller, BanJdva, larger, Tahilicus.) 



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