504 
The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 
Its real nature appears by comparison with the feathers of the Sebastopol goose, an analogy which 
is pointed out by Mr. Darwin himself when describing that bird. “These feathers,” he says, “are 
remarkable from the central shaft, which is excessively thin and transparent, being split into fine 
filaments, which after running for a space free, sometimes coalesce again. It is a curious fact that 
these filaments are regularly clothed on each side with fine down or barbules, precisely like those on 
the proper barbs of the feather : this structure of the feathers is transmitted to half-bred birds. In 
Gallus Sonneratii the barbs and barbules blend together, and form thin horny plates of the same 
nature with the shaft. In this variety of the goose, the shaft divides into filaments which acquire 
barbules, and thus resemble true barbs.” Hence we see that this goose presents a variation from 
the normal type of a precisely analogous character (though in contrariety) to that of the Sonnerat ; 
yet no one supposes it to be a distinct species. 
Regarding the Ceylon Jungle Fowl, or Gallus Stanleyii, there is less evidence available on either 
side. The fact that hybrids between it and the common fowl are so common in Ceylon as scarcely 
to excite remark, should make us cautious in concluding, on the sole evidence of the two individuals 
mentioned by Mr. Mitford, that such hybrids are sterile ; and on this point many of our observations on 
the Gallus Sonneratii , as to the difficulty of breeding from wild birds or their descendants in captivity , 
will peculiarly apply, for it will be noted that the wild breed itself is stated never to have bred in 
such circumstances, or even to have long survived. Hence we might expect great difficulty in 
breeding from its hybrids, quite apart from any actual sterility. The great difference in voice is of 
more weight, but will be thought much less of by a poultry-fancier, who is accustomed to the most 
extraordinary differences between the voices of various domestic races, than by a naturalist. On the 
whole, it must be admitted that there is very little evidence to show either that the Gallus Stanleyii 
had or had not any share in the origin of the domestic fowl, though it is worthy of remark that the 
resemblance of the bird itself is perhaps the most startling of all the wild breeds ; so that Messrs. 
Layard and Kellaert mention the “George Joyce” crow as the sole reason for discarding it as one 
of the parent stocks. This reason, however, as we have remarked, a fancier would consider very 
insufficient if unsupported by others. In relation to this breed, it is also decidedly worthy of 
remark that in most cases of reversion in colour amongst various breeds of poultry, the evident 
tendency is towards a red or brown breast in the cock rather than to a black. This fact we have 
already pointed out ; and, so far as it goes, it is more in favour of the present variety than of the 
Gallus Bankiva as a possible parent of our domestic breeds. 
Of the Fork-tailed Java Cock, or Gallus furcatus , Mr. Darwin has remarked that it differs so very 
much from the Domestic Fowl, that “no one supposes - ” it to have been the parent of any of our 
breeds. The points of difference named are the green plumage, the unserrated comb, and the single 
median wattle ; the last being, perhaps, the most marked of them all. We were, therefore, much 
surprised and interested to see only the other day a Light Brahma hen in which this identical 
feature was conspicuously developed. She was one of a trio of American Light Brahmas, sent by 
Mr. J. M. Wade, of Philadelphia, to Mr. G. Wm. Petter, of Streatham Grove, Surrey. One of the 
hens was a celebrated bird which had been portrayed many months before reaching England, 
and which we found to weigh nearly fourteen pounds ; the other was the hen in question. The 
extraordinary appearance of her head struck us at once, and is shown in Fig. ioo, which is drawn 
from life. There is not a vestige of the ordinary wattles at the sides of the base of the lower 
mandible ; but instead thereof an immense single wattle hanging in the true meridian line, giving 
the whole head a most peculiar expression, which is added to by the shapeless character of 
the comb. The feature would have struck any observer at once, as it struck ourselves ; so 
strongly, in fact, that for some years we kept the head preserved in spirits of wine, until finally 
