and general contour of the body. These hybrids were raised from hens of
several breeds by a cock-pheasant; but another hybrid, described by Mr.
Hewitt, was raised from a hen-pheasant, by a silver-laced Bantam cock, and
this possessed a rudimental comb and wattles.), and from the hybrids which I
have seen, preponderates over the domestic fowl; but the latter, as far as
colour is concerned, has considerable power of transmission, for hybrids
raised from five differently coloured hens differed greatly in plumage. I
formerly examined some curious hybrids in the Zoological Gardens, between the
Penguin variety of the common duck and the Egyptian goose (Anser aegyptiacus);
and although I will not assert that the domesticated variety preponderated
over the natural species, yet it had strongly impressed its unnatural upright
figure on these hybrids.

I am aware that such cases as the foregoing have been ascribed by various
authors, not to one species, race, or individual being prepotent over the
other in impressing its character on its crossed offspring, but to such rules
as that the father influences the external characters and the mother the
internal or vital organs. But the great diversity of the rules given by
various authors almost proves their falseness. Dr. Prosper Lucas has fully
discussed this point, and has shown (14/18. 'L'Hered. Nat.' tome 2 book 2
chapter 1.) that none of the rules (and I could add others to those quoted by
him) apply to all animals. Similar rules have been announced for plants, and
have been proved by Gartner (14/19. 'Bastarderzeugung' s. 264-266. Naudin
'Nouvelles Archives du Museum' tome 1 page 148 has arrived at a similar
conclusion.) to be all erroneous. If we confine our view to the domesticated
races of a single species, or perhaps even to the species of the same genus,
some such rules may hold good; for instance, it seems that in reciprocally
crossing various breeds of fowls the male generally gives colour (14/20.
'Cottage Gardener' 1856 pages 101, 137.); but conspicuous exceptions have
passed under my own eyes. It seems that the ram usually gives its peculiar