Professor
John L.Skinner
Middleton
- Wisconsin- USA
7-4-1986
Dear
John,
I
received your letter and enclosures from Mrs Banning and Dr Bitgood for which
I thank you very much. The letter from Mrs Banning is interesting. I checked
back on her original letter and found that I did quote her in my book. It did
not occur to me at the theme regarding the pheasant x chicken and fertility of
resultant offspring. I have made on initial search through my literature here
but have not found anything on it. I’m glad you picked it up for I’m
endeavouring to get whatever I write as correct as possible. I will however
investigate the matter further. I doubt whether much experimental work has
been done in this field and the information from Mrs Banning is quite
interesting as the Pheasants and Gallus do have a relationship. Although I know little of the grouse.
I have always had a feeling it may have been involved with the Asiatics
(Cochins, Langshans, Brahmas) for I think the grouse has feathered legs: I
will have to find out more about it. There is one thing about this study I
have been doing, there is always something new turning that leads something
else. This does however make the exercise interesting and also makes a basis
for discussion from which we can perhaps all learn a little more...
I
thank you also for the paper from Dr Bitgood. I’m afraid the terminology is
above my head but I have contacted someone to explain the terminology to me.
However it does appear the Red Jungle Fowl working along these lines seems to
be the main species when considering the domestic chicken and sonnerati,
varius etc more or less sub species.
I might have this wrong but I have quite a few books on genetics etc and will
look up some of the terms and endeavour to simplify it down. It is indeed
another avenue for study on the origins of the domestic chicken and each piece
of information in this field is of much value.
Since
I wrote the foregoing, past week I have been in contact with a chap I know
near here who runs a Wildlife Park. He advised me that he knows a chap in
South Australia also runs a Wildlife Park who crossed a Ring Necked Pheasant
with a Domestic Chicken. I have written to this fellow in an endeavour to
obtain some details of what occurred with the offspring.
Also
I have contacted a geneticist at the nearby Poultry Breeding and Processing
Establishment who is going to endeavour to explain the terminology of Dr
Bitgood’s paper for me also.
I
received the book American Poultry
History 1823-1973 in good order and condition. For this I thank you very
much. I can assure you it is most appreciated. I have not as yet had time to
go through it but can see the value of it in recording the history through the
years.
Unfortunately
I don’t see anything of this nature being done in Australia. We don’t seem
to have the dedication out here that your people in the US have. Here they
wait until it’s too late and all the records are lost.
There
was talk some few years ago by the Government Departments of Agriculture to do
something of this nature, but it just fizzled out. I at the time offered to
give what assistance I could as I possess quite a number of old Poultry
Newspaper published in Sydney from 1918 to around 1970 which would have
provided a lot of information. I know there is also a complete file of a
journal published in Victoria available in that State which would have been
useful. However unlike the US there appears to be very little published on
Poultry in Australia in the 1800’s. I do have A.J.Compton’s Australasian
Book of Poultry (1899) which would provide quite a lot of valuable data.
However
I think out here if it were a Government project it would involve so much red
tape that it could get logged down. I have ideas of doing the histories of the
Australia Breeds, i.e. Australian Game, Australian Pit Game, Australorp,
Langshan (Asiatic version) but as I’ve probably told you previously
obtaining funds to carry out the research and publishing is my stumbling
block.
What
I have done so far I have had to do at my own expense and there has been
little return to fund further work. I have so much material here that needs to
be coalated and put down in print that it frustrates me at times, for I feel a
lot of this history will be lost for all times.
I
am still pursuing avenues for funding these projects. My local member of the
Federal Government is working hard for me and although we recently received a
knockback from one Government Department he is trying another. I have a bit
more meat for the sandwich with the Supplement
just published that may help.
Also
I have made enquiries with a couple of Foundations who are sending me details
of their guidelines for funding projects. The Winston
Churchill Foundation in Canberra I believe provides fellowship grants for
research overseas for non-academics such as myself. Although this is perhaps
not what I really had in mind it could be helpful in furthering my studies.
However being 64 years of age may be against me when it comes to something
like this. However I will carry on as best I can for I find the study most
interesting and satisfying and hope that I can contribute something to the
overall picture of the Gallus
species.
I
congratulate you and your officers of the American Poultry Historical Society
on the excellent job you have done compiling this book. I can appreciate the
work that has gone into it. I will be looking forward to receiving a copy of
your review of my researches in the American
Poultry Historical Society’s Newsletter.
All
for now. My kindest regards.