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Notes from Mr. E. Blyth letter of Aug 4' 1855

Sheet I. Does not know about otters breeding in captivity─ Rabbits breed well, are thought by natives to be the Bengal Hare domesticated. Asks whether all fancy Rabbits are not of recent origin?

There is an Angora with hair like cat of country

Canaries are constantly imported & wd soon die out in Bengal─ "Progeny said to be weakly"─ so with goldfinches, Thrushes, Blackbirds, Linnets, Sky Larks.

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Sheet 2. ─ Suspect that canary may have been domesticated by old Guanchis.─ Refers to a top-knot canary (N.B how curious this tendency to top-knot in fowls, Ducks, even Pigeon)

The tame green geese are here manifestly hybrids, half Cygnoides; orange beak & legs, but in structure colouring, voice, reduced development of the frontal Knob, are undeniably of a mixed race, & continuously prolific. In upper province said to be pure A. Cygnoides

Will enquire near Calcutta there are 2 vars of A. Cygnoides

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both perfectly characterised; perhaps imported directly from China.─

Tame English goose not known here: but the wild protégé A. cinereus comes here in flocks during cold season.

Cats. Long discussion in which he concludes F. chaus (⸮) origin of British cats: introduced with domestic cat as does F. rubiginosa of I. G. St. [Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire] Hybrid─ Say Ruppell figure very broad. Believes there is another race of which he has seen a genuine wild specimen, grey & spotted transversely with black.─ Thinks there is a wild angora Cat; only surmises it, ─ says Angora breeds most freely with common Bengal cat & hybrids of every grade of intermediary & bush of fur tail produced.─ (Angora cat turned Persian)─ The typical Angora cat is grey-brown, with faint streaks on the limbs & breast; extremely faint caudal rings ─ cheek-stripes conspicuous ─ no tendency to develop lynx-tufts in ears─ Skull not to be distinguished from Bengal at.─ Molar teeth much smaller than teeth of wild British Cat.─

Malaysian cats to Timor all with imperfect tail, as far as he has seen.─

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ask, "what about the blue cats of Spain?

He had case of Bull-dog terrier which each little had a puppy with a stumpy tail─

He sums up that he thinks there are two types of wild cats mingled in India─ and probably other species mingled with them.─ "Fulvous cats, streaked or unstreaked are common enough, & then, I think, are generally if not always male, with Tortoise-shell to correspond in the other sex.

Agrees that Ægyptian & European cats may be derived from F maniculata ─ (Cats referred to an ancient Sanskrit writings, 2000 years ago & upwards) & many have spread,─ Repeat that he does not think the Bengal cats do descend from F. maniculata, but from 2 allied species, one of which he perhaps has wild form the alpine Punjab.

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Kallij Pheasants gallophasis ⸮ separable from Euglocarous. see Journal. As. Soc. of Bengal vol 17 p. 694 ─ vol 18 p. 817 (Probably crossing mentioned)

Pigeons are most carefully matched by natives in India for breeding as carefully as in England & are very expensive as they never select Horses or cattle.—

Blyth has written on Indian Columbidæ

(Ann: & Mag Noat Hist. vol XIX p. 103— 1847)

Old Ægyptian never figure domestic Fowl or camel. Important as eliminating N. Africa.— They represent humped & humpless cattle & domestic goose & not A. Cygnoides.— Remarks that Fowls may have been an abomination to them, as to the cast-ridden Hindoos to this day.—

Isld B. means to investigate sanskrit name of Pigeon

There are 3 if not 4 orangs & 3 Chimpanzees!