GALLUSFEPVI\U ,[NEUS.
GALLUS FERRBGINEUS.
RED JUNGLE-FOWL,
PHASIANUS GALLUS, Gmel. Syst: Nat; vol. i. p. 737.
TETRAO FERRUGINEUS, Gmel. Syst. Nat. (1788) vol. i. p. 761.—Lath. Gen. Hist. voL.^m^. 129, fem.—Gray, 111. Ind.-Zool. pi. 43. fig. 3.
GALLUS BANKIVA, Temm. Pig. et Gall. vol. iii. p. 654.—Less. Trait. Orn. (1831) p. 491. sp. 2.—Gray, List B. Brit. Mus. (1844) p. 27.—
Sdlat. Proc. Zool. Soci (1863) p. 122. sjjjflSawL & Selby, 111. Grn. pi. 139—Hodgs. Gray’s Zool. Misc. (1844) p. 85—Irby, Ibis,
(1861) p. 234.—Wall. Proc. 'Zool. Soci (1863) p. 487.
G. FERRUGINEUS, Blyth, Cat. Birds Mus. Asiat. S!$i?. B'eng. p. 242i—Id. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 2nd ser. (1848) vol. i. p. 455.—Jerd. Birds
of Ind. voL’iii. p. 536.—Blyth, Ibis, (1867) p. 154.-—Cass. Wilke’s Expl. Exp. (Ornith-) p. '190.—Beavan, Ibis, (1868) p. 381.—Bonap.
Compt. Rend. (1856)-p: 879.—Adams, Proc. Zool.-Soc|f|l859) p. 185. ^ r
PERDIX FERRUGINEUS, Lath. Ind. Orni.vol. ii. p. 651.
H ab . Jungly districts of § l f North India, from the valleys of the sub-PIimalayari region southward to the Vindhian range and the
North Circars; Assam; Burmese and Malh) countries; Turkestan? ' ( B l v t h ) . Terai jungles of Oiidh ( I i u b y | | Lombock;
Timor (W a l l . ) .
T h is well-known bird, th e origin of our Domestic Fowls, is pretty well distributed throughout India, and is also found in the Philippine
Islands, Malacca* &c. Like their descendants, the inhabitants of our barnyards, who havej iuherited their dispositions,. the cocks are
fearless and pugnacious; and during the breeding-season.espeeially their crow may be heard at morning and.evening.resounding througli
the forest, challenging idhy feathered intruder upon their domains to the deadly combat. Dr. Jerdon, in his;valuable work on the'Dirds of
India, has given so interesting an account of this species as observed by him that I do not hesitate to insert it here for/the benefit of such
o f my readers as may not have seen the book referred to
'•‘■The- well-known Jungle-fowl is found from ’the Himalayas southwards, on the west of India* as far a t all events as the range
of.yifidhian' hills., and, a s 'I have been, informed- byilMr. W. Blanford since the above remarks were penned, also south ofethe. Nerbuddaj
on the Raj-peepia^ hills.-:: Coli Sykes’s variety, found in the Western Ghats, with much red in its plumage,, must be: this species; but it is to
be wished he had noted the particular locality. On the east i t occurs through Central India and the Northern Circars. to near the north
hank of the Godavery. I have h ea rd of its having been killed south of this, at Cummum ; but J caunot speak positively'on this head.
I have not seen it myself further sputh than the banks of the Indrawutty, hot far.from its junction with the Godavery, and . then; bothnhis
species fand vthe next (G . Sonnerativ) were heard crowing a few,yards from each other,: I shot one bird,'an undoubted hybrid between the
Kwo facts.
. “ InCcntral India ' this. Jungle-fowlisrdre, especially towards ffigwes^ef til portion, at Jubbulpore;. Saugor.'Mhqw; v&c.; but it is veryj
S f f i ^ ^ H t h c ' i u s i p i t i . p a r t i c a l a r l y K . ^ ^ 8 Northern Circup?® It is nofiimcommoniw^o, 111 the Rajmahal lulls extending to the
■souiClMnk o fS fpG a n g e s . Towards $ f occnrs mM & ran g e ofilulls south of Gashmere and to the west'of Jummoo, but
fa • * “ “ alollS tlle HimM f a i» « Assam, Sylliet, Chittagong, and Burmah.
Malayan pecimen are'decidedly d'arker m tint, and hare ' f t ea ^ g » r ufoua>nd!.perhaps may g c o n s i a e l id .to be a distinct race or
species, which in that case ivould hear Temminck’s name, bankma. -This trace appears to extend over many o f th e Malayan islands, as for
„ 2 at all i and Mr. Blyth dre'w to theiStafementfa f t ^ M fdwluoccnrring -in the Boniii Islands. Certain palepnWiifed
birds from the lower. Himalayan ranges were noticed in thc.Anii.tand Mag. Nat. .H is t^ ^ i. xx. p. 389. J -
“ The Jungle-fowldkvhry pdiltial to bamboo-jungle, but is in lofty forests and in dense thickets. _ 1
near t i i& . i a d S |t h e y u iM d U r l% theiij ^ f e l f e 4 J # 4 » a l i B » t > l l j g t s e e n morning and evemn&in fthe fields, oftSmn
straggling parties'of .ten. to twenty. . Theifcrow, which they give n t t e r a n c e r am o i |i in g < a n i ^ » i ^ a l l the year round,ibnti especially at
the'p airing-scason.'is quite like that o f a Bantam cock, hut shorter and never prolonged as in onr domestic cocks. The hen-breeds
.from January to July, according to the locality, laymgieight to twelve (e g g s |W a c r e am y -w h iM M ® often under a'bam|p|-olnmp or
in some dense* thicket occasionally scraping a few leaves or dried grass together to formta ne t Sooner or later after the breeding-
■ season' is over, theineck-hackles « ¡ b e male sp^timesSfall toff, and are re p la c e d® short blackish giyy feathers
“ W h e n detached'dumps of jiingle or small h i l ls g c u r ltfaju n g ly district where t'lesd. lW .a b o u n d ; very pretty ..homing can tc.imtl
by driving them by means of dogs odd beaters, and in travelling through a forest country .many wilt:always be found.near the roads,
to which they resort to pick up grain from tlie droppings of cattle &c. i dogs will often put them up, when they.at once Uy on to the
'nearest trees, Yomfg, birds, if kept for a few .'days, are vcrv 'excciieatlennng, having uteousidin-abld gw.e-ilavour.”
I haw. examined* specimens' of ;hi<'j§iriK.fro!a;JIa:aeea,-«md 'ccniparet! them w i& |t® 6® rom India. There doeflhot appear to be
any d if f e r e n c e of importance certainly none sufficient to. constitute them distinct species; and Temminck’s name o f banMm. must be
continued‘as «synonym of f k m g a m t of Gmelhv> I have seeii exainpies from-Siam whose" hackles'wereigltirely of chestnut.