HOUWINK’S EXPER. CONC. THE ORIGIN OF SOME DOMESTIC ANIMALS 19 
brighter and more distinct, the dark centres being larger, and the edges 
yellow, rather than orange. The flight feathers and their coverts are 
dark cinnamom, mottled and finely vermiculated with black. 
BEEBE then gives the following des cription of the: 
Adult female. The variation in the plumage of the hen is, within nar- 
rower limits, correspondingly as great as in the cock, and, of course, 
attributable to the some cause e. g. crossing with native birds. The 
crown of the head is rusty red, shading into orange on the neck and 
pale yellow on the mantle, all the feathers with a wide black stripe 
down the centre. On the mantle this stripe is strongly glossed with 
green. Remainder of the upper plumage, beginning rather abruptly 
behind the mantle feathers, pale reddish or buffy brown, finely mottled 
and vermiculated with black, with a conspicuous narrow, yellowish- 
white line down the shaft. Flight feathers brownish-black, the prima- 
ries very narrowly edged with buff. The visible portion of secondaries 
(fourfifth of the outer web) vermiculated with pale reddish-brown. Ter- 
tiaries evenly vermiculated with distinct metallic green sheen on the 
darker portions. Tail-feathers with rufous brown mottling, confined to 
the edges of the feathers, and considerable green gloss. Comb someti- 
mes a minute fleshy knob; again a low, inconspicuous nodged ridge. 
Wattles absent, and ear-lappets greatly reduced. Face and upper neck 
chestnut. Lower neck and breast light red shading posteriorly, and on 
the sides, into pale buffy-brown, each feather with a pale shaft. The 
feathers have more or less dark mottling, especially those of the sides, 
where it takes the form of irregular, concentric bands. The breast and 
mid-belly is usually monochrome. Undertail coverts blackishbrown 
with slight brownish mottling. 
The bill of the hen is usually paler than that of the cock; but other- 
wise the colors of the horny and fleshy parts are the same in both sexes. 
Weight 1 Ib. 2 0zs. to 1 Ib. 10 ozs. 
Length 420 to 460 mm.; Culmen from nostril 15; wing 185, tall 298% 
tarsus 60, middletoe and claw 50. Spurs absent. | 
VORDERMAN gives in Natuurk. Tijdschrift van Ned. Indié XLV p. 
405 a description of a hen shot Sept. 19. 1882 on the Salak, in the bam- 
boo-region when she flew across the Tji-tjatie. We translate from the 
Dutch: 
„Face nearly bald and flesh colored, On a few places only near the 
