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ORIGINAL ARTICLES. 
importance to the biologist; the wide geographical range of some of 
the species (as at present determined), recent and extinct, is also of 
interest to the naturalist; and in the distribution of the fossil Esther ice 
amongst the freshwater and estuarine passage-beds of the great suc¬ 
cessive formations, the geologist will find a fruitful field of research ; 
for, at least, these little fossils will prove to be useful indicators of 
even transient changes of fresh and salt-water conditions, either in 
shallow water on coasts, or in inland lakes, where evaporation and 
the influx of river-water, each varying in amount periodically, may 
have produced freshwater, brackish, and saline deposits alternately. 
XXY.— Note on the Fertility, inter se, oe Hybrids oe 
DIFFERENT SPECIES OE THE GENUS GrALLUS. By S. J. A. 
Salter. 
During the last two years some interesting experiments have been 
conducted at the Hardens of the Zoological Society, under my 
observation, in reference to hybrids of different species of the genus 
Gallus; their production, in the first place, from distinct species, 
and their subsequent continuance by breeding inter se. The results 
of these experiments have been very different from what I hoped 
and expected. The object which was in view in conducting them—• 
to produce persistent races of hybrid fowls, was not accomplished ; 
at least the results were so unsatisfactory as to make it obvious that, 
with all the care which artificial rearing could afford, the few progeny 
of these hybrids would not maintain a race—there being evidently a 
physiological veto against their continuance. 
Before describing these experiments and detailing results I would 
premise a few remarks respecting the subjects of them. 
I take it for granted, in the first place, that the different Galli 
upon which these observations were made, are distinct and veritable 
species according to the most orthodox interpretation of that term ; 
secondly, that the domestic fowl is one and only one of those 
species; prolific of its kind, and from its domestic habits very man¬ 
ageable, and for these reasons best suited as the female parent of the 
first generation of hybrids. The different species employed in these 
observations were Gallus Sonnerattii, G. fureatus , and G. Eankiva ; 
assuming that is, that the domestic fowl, in all its varieties, is the 
latter, an opinion universally received by ornithologists. The 
domestic form of Eankiva employed was the game fowl, the nearest 
approach to the wild parent stock: full-sized game hens were 
associated with G. fureatus, and bantams with G. Sonnerattii. 
These efforts at breeding hybrid fowls were commenced in 
1861. Previous attempts had been made, many years ago, at the 
Zoological Hardens, and some of the older keepers, though not giving 
any very accurate or particular accounts of their history, indicate 
similar general results to those which have been recently obtained. 
