Tegetmeier, of the frequent appearance, in mongrel fowls, of pencilled or
transversely-barred feathers, like those common to many gallinaceous birds, is
likewise apparently a case of reversion to a character formerly possessed by
some ancient progenitor of the family. I owe to the kindness of this excellent
observer the opportunity of inspecting some neck-hackles and tail-feathers
from a hybrid between the common fowl and a very distinct species, the Gallus
varius; and these feathers are transversely striped in a conspicuous manner
with dark metallic blue and grey, a character which could not have been
derived from either immediate parent.

I have been informed by Mr. B.P. Brent, that he crossed a white Aylesbury
drake and a black so-called Labrador duck, both of which are true breeds, and
he obtained a young drake closely like the mallard (A. boschas). Of the musk-
duck (Cairina moschata, Linn.) there are two sub-breeds, namely, white and
slate-coloured; and these I am informed breed true, or nearly true. But the
Rev. W.D. Fox tells me that, by putting a white drake to a slate-coloured
duck, black birds, pied with white, like the wild musk-duck, were always
produced. I hear from Mr. Blyth that hybrids from the canary and gold-finch
almost always have streaked feathers on their backs; and this streaking must
be derived from the original wild canary.

We have seen in the fourth chapter, that the so-called Himalayan rabbit, with
its snow-white body, black ears, nose, tail, and feet, breeds perfectly true.
This race is known to have been formed by the union of two varieties of
silver-grey rabbits. Now, when a Himalayan doe was crossed by a sandy-coloured
buck, a silver-grey rabbit was produced; and this is evidently a case of
reversion to one of the parent varieties. The young of the Himalayan rabbit
are born snow-white, and the dark marks do not appear until some time
subsequently; but occasionally young Himalayan rabbits are born of a light
silver-grey, which colour soon disappears; so that here we have a trace of