42 LOTSY AND KUIPER, A PRELIM. STATEMENT OF THE RESULTS OF MR. 
moved. Such a cage containing a varius-cock was, after removal of the 
bottom, put upon the ground near a domestic hen. The latter’s legs 
were fastened and folded forwards unter its body, the animal being 
fixed firmly to the soil by means of two iron pins crossed over its shoul- 
ders. In this position the tail was elevated and the cloaca exposed. In 
order to induce the varius-cock to copulate, he is previously excited by 
moving a varius-hen, held at the legs, in front of his cage. The cock is 
now seen to become excited and, at the proper moment, the cage is lif- 
ted a little and the varıus-hen pushed inside. Immediately the cock 
flies upon the hen, fixing himself by means of his bill to her head, but 
at this very moment the cage containing him is put over the pinned- 
down domestic hen, and the varius-hen forcibly removed ; the now fully 
excited varius-cock covers the domestic hen without further ado. 
To prevent subsequent fertilisation of the domestic hen, to which li- 
berty is now given, by domestic cocks, a large piece of the skin of the 
fruit of the laboe is tied, by means of strings, around the tail of the 
root, thus covering the cloaka. This protective piece is called ,ampok’’. 
The color of the hybrids — of which the cocks only are valuable, 
both on account of their beauty and their loud voice — depends of 
course on the genetic constitution of the domestic hen used, the white 
ones being the most highly prized. 
About 50 bekissars are, according to BEEBE, exported every month 
from Kangean, where they cost, according to VORDERMAN /2.50 à f5.—, 
while fine specimens cost as high as f 20.— on Java; but BEEBE men- 
tions f 600 as the price paid by a native chief for two birds jet-black 
as to plumage, comb, face, wattles, legs, feet and even iris, with very 
strong voices. The hybrids soon become tame, and are allowed to run 
freely about among the domestic poultry. The most striking character 
is the metallic gloss of the upper plumage, fringed with golden yellow. 
Even in the pure white birds the iridescent fringe persists, and is won- 
derfully beautiful in the sunlight. As to any relation between Gallus 
varius and the origin of our domestic poultry BEEBE sary: „No one, 
I think, has seriously considered the Javan bird as sharing in the direct 
ancestry of our breeds of fowl’. Since then, however GHIGI, Genetica 
IV, p. 369, has done so; after calling attention to the fertile character 
of varius-bankiva crosses, he continues: 
„Il s'agit maintenant de rechercher quels caractères dans les races 
domestiques, puissent être dus au Gallus varius. Je ne crois pas qué 
