Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-08-14

about midnight and at o'clock a. M. |
and when he first got them they alarm
ed the people of the neighborhool, un
til they learned the cause of this terri
flying noise. The peculiar horned pleas
ants, or tragopans. from the Hima
layas and the Anderson's kaleege which
latter birds have Matched twenty five
young ones this season, are also the on
ly birds of their kind in Aemerca.
But what interested me the most
We're the three species of wild chickens
from India and Borneo. First of all. !
was shown a yard full of the Indian
wild or jungle fowl, Gallus bankiva.
the Adam and Eve of our domestic
breeds. They look for all the world like
ack-breasted red game bantams. In
fact you can hardly tell the two apart.
When / saw these chickens l was able
to comprehend why they. and none of
the other species became the fOrbeaTs
of our common fowls. OF the three
wild species which l saw on the Daven-
port place, the Gallus bankiva takes
| more readily to domestication. and is
not nearly SO wild and shy as the other
two. IN the next yard were two cocks
| and four hens of that most beautiful
of wild chickens, the Gallus varius of
Borneo. They cost Mr.. Davenport in
| They were running in tall grass. and
| hidden from view, when l got there,
and the manager told me if l would ex-
change my straw hat for dark color
| ed travelling cap, be careful not to
| make any quick or sudden move and
| wait patiently for while, l might see
| them. a straw hat it seems, frightens
| them half out of their wits and al
! though tame enough with the manager
| they are most sure to hide in the grass
when Il stranger comes about So I
| followed directions and awaited results.
After about fifteen minutes patient
waiting, / was rewarded by seeing first
| one, then another. and at last all six
come out. They We're the first l had
ever sexl. Unlike the Gallus bankiva
| and domestic fowls, the rooster has
rather large comb and only one waffle
which latter he has the power of ex-
panding until it hangs nearly three
inches below his bill. The upper part
of the comb is brilliant red, the mid
die part a vivid blush green, and the
lower part bright yellow. The waffle
is similarly colored. They utter q De-
culiar singing note, somewhat similar
to the grooming of i domestic hen when
she is contented. The hens are with,1lt
u.
habits anu manners of Gallus varius
remind one strongly of the pheasant.
and they seem to be sort of connect
ing link between the latter and the true
chickens. In still another Enclosure
saw quite a large flock of Sonnerat's
fowl, Gallus sonnerati, of Java These
resemble the pit game more than any,
thing 1 know of.
| Il saw some hybrid chickens bred
between Gallus sonnerati and the COM
mon and jungle fowl, but they are COM
plete mules, and will not breed again
The Sonnerat fowls were not quite so
wild as Gallus varius. Thus far the
| latter have never crossed with the COM
mon fowl, although mules were obtain
ed between the two species some wears
ago in London. None of the Gallus
Varius ROSTERS crowed while l was
present, but the Sonnerati cocks We're
quite noisy. Their growing Is altogether
different from that of the common fowl.
1t reminded me of the bantam crow
reversed. They also make a noise some
what similar to the 'pot-rack! pot
rack of the Guinea fowl. These Son.
nerati fowls cost Mr.. Davenport $50
pair. They have Matched out several
broods of young chickens which are
doing well, but Gallus varius has thus
far failed to produce eggs or to incu-
bate. In addition to the birds I have
described, l saw every manner of rare
pheasant you can think of. Vulturine
Guinea fowls: white, black winged ia
van, and common peacocks, a Curas-
SOW or two, and many other strange
birds
CHICKENS OF SHAKESPEARES
DAYS
Davenport is also the only person or
. this side of the Atlantic who is breed
ing the now nearly extinct old Sussex
, and Surrey fowls, and the ancient Red
, Dorkings. These three breeds, the firs1
two of which are enormous birds, were
the common fowl of England in the
days of Queen Elizabeth. Today they
are bred by four families scattered
! about remote districts of England
Those who still breed the Sussex and
. Surrey fowls have been doing so for
| generations. and think so much of the
f breed that they will not part with them
for love or money. Mr.. Davenport ha(
: to search all over England before HI
I found these survivals of ancient breeds
and it was only after the utmost diff
; Guilty that he managed to secure several
= pairs. The family who had maintained
I Inc DlOod OIL the old Red DOrking in al
p its purity for several centuries were
/ exceedingly reluctant to part with &
Y pair to Mr.. Davenport. The old SUISSE,
$ and Surrey breeds are as large as tn,
/ largest Cochins, but have no feathers
t o nthe legs. The old Red Dorking i
o smaller and more shapely than TIN
t modern Dorking, and is a deep buff re,
= throughout.
with hundreds of domesti cc ted wilt
e birds. it is not at all surprising that oc
n casionally some of them should evinc,
a desire to return to the old free life
Last fall a little wood duck drak,
r thought it time to start for mis- winte
e home in Florida. He would get his lit
# tie mate upon log, and seem to say
. to her, All ready, here we 60, ant
: away he would soar at Il great rate
: But his little wife could not follow, be
q cause one of her wings was clippe
= (pinioned) Try as she would, the effor
I. was useless, SO, at last, after days O
e urging, the male took his departur
L and was seen no more that winter On