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CHAPTER XXXII. 
WILD BREEDS OF POULTRY — ORIGIN OF THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 
We have already on several occasions incidentally stated our opinion that more facts need to be 
ascertained before the question as to the origin of the Domestic Fowl can be satisfactorily settled. 
It is well-known, however, that most modern naturalists, among whom Mr. Darwin deserves special 
mention, believe that one existing wild variety, known as the Gallus Bankiva, or Gallus ferrugineus, 
is the sole progenitor ; and as we formerly accepted this view ourselves on what we supposed to be 
the sufficient authority of such names, but have been gradually led to look upon it with the greatest 
distrust by facts which have since fallen under our own observation, or been communicated to us 
by others in the course of an extensive correspondence upon poultry matters, it may be expected 
that we should not altogether pass by the subject. We shall, therefore, after describing the four 
wild varieties at present known, state briefly the chief reasons why we feel unable to adopt the 
ordinary view, and how we are at least inclined to regard the matter from all the facts as yet 
known. To do more than this in the present state of knowledge would be to repeat the very 
fault which we think has been committed by others — of dogmatising upon insufficient information : 
it will, therefore, be understood that we only profess to treat the question as it shapes itself for the 
present in our own mind. 
The varieties of wild Jungle Fowl now known to naturalists we have already stated to be 
four in number ; and these we will first describe, adding such information concerning them as we 
have been able to obtain. 
GALLUS BANKIVA, or Gallus ferrugineus. — This is the most widely-distributed of all the 
wild breeds of India, ranging all over Continental India, till in the eastward it meets with 
Sonnerat’s Fowl, and southward through the principal islands. In Malay it is called Ayam utan , 
the word “ ayam,” as we have already seen, signifying fowl. It is generally described as resembling 
the Black-breasted Red Game, but smaller, and with a more drooping tail ; in fact, as being midway 
between Game and Game Bantams in size, but resembling the variety named in colour, with dark 
legs having a slight green tinge ; but later and more accurate observers have detected very evident 
differences in colour, and even size, between the birds found in various parts. Mr. Trevor Dickens, 
who spent many years in India as an officer in the army, and during that time paid special 
attention to both the wild and game native breeds, states that besides the small variety with 
horn-coloured or greenish legs, “ there is another and rather larger sort of the Gallus ferrugineus, 
which has otten been mistaken for the Gallus Sonneratii ; this species has yellow legs, and may 
be styled the Gallus ferrugineus major ; while the less and commoner breed may be styled Gallus 
ferrugineus minor!' He also states that in different parts they vary much in colour, some 
resembling Black-reds, some Brown-reds or Ginger-reds, and others more of a yellowish brown. 
Sir William Jardine corroborates this statement; and so does Mr. Blyth, who, as Curator of the 
Asiatic Society’s Museum at Calcutta, had unusual facilities for observation. He states that 
