Jerome
Pratt
7-2-1996
Dear
Mr Pratt,
Thank
you for your letters and interesting material. As the pheasants and the fowl
are virtually belonging to the family the possibilities are certainly that
there could be a link in the line of descendants.
It
seems to me that no where in the literature can you find any attempt to pursue
the ancestry of Gallus gallus (Red Jungle Fowl) itself:
The
early writers, Wright, Tegetmeier etc etc all pushed Darwin’s belief that
the domestic fowl descended from the red jungle fowl. FULL STOP.
If
a story is repeated enough times it is believes. I believe some scholars even
today still stick to this theory. However growing in numbers are the people
who doubt it: The evidence is building up that there were possibility 3
different species which came down the line of decent from a common extinct
ancestor.
Where
Darwin’s theory breaks down is that it is in contrast to his evolutionary
ideas that everything obviously evolved. He offers no explanation as to what
the Red Jungle Fowl evolved from. They are still running around in the jungle.
What I believe we need now is to investigate from whence the Jungle Fowl came
from. I’m not sure where we have to start but I believe it needs to be done.
I
have to read trough your material again; I have a fair bit of stuff coming in
at the moment and having
difficulty keeping up to it.
I
have correspondents all over the world exchanging information with me.
Unfortunately some of it in foreign languages which I have difficulty with.
I’m
afraid I haven’t had anything to do with pigeons. However I found your
material interesting. During. World War 2 I served in the Australian
Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Army) for 3 ½ years, 2 years of which
were served in New Guinea.
I
will make some enquires regarding the pigeons used in the Australian Army. I
believe they were. I was born in 1921 have had problems with eyesight for same
years. The last 8 years the sight
has failed badly. My doctor tells me that the optic nerve in one of my eyes
has been damaged by the glaucoma and of course the macular degeneration.
My
other eye has been faulty since birth. The centre of the retina is damaged. I
have had cataract surgery on both eyes and a cornea transplant on one of them.
My doctor has done all possible for me.
I
have some literature regarding the Saipan Game bird which I will locate and
send you a copy. It appears to me it is essentially a Malay.
Over
the years I have acquired many contacts overseas with people interested in
chickens in overseas countries, e.g. Fred Jeffrey, Prof. George F. Carter of
Texas A&M University and others in the USA as well as others in Europe. I
find there is increasing support and evidence that the Malay and Jungle Fowl
perhaps have different roots. I am firmly convinced that they did, especially
after reading Finsterbusch Cocks and
Cockfighting all over the World. Finsterbusch made a definitive study of
the subject.
I
also have recently received info from a Russian geneticist who appears to
think along these lines.
I
have found this a very interesting although at times somewhat frustrating
subject. My archives on there matters - origins - poultry genetics - breeds -
and my poultry library is now quite considerable.
OK
re your repairs to Our Poultry
Weir. I do not have this book although I have access to it through a friend of
mine. I have Wright, Tegetmeier, Wingfield and Johnson and others. They also
cover much of the some territory.
My
son is also involved in chickens and shortly will be beginning the preparation
of a definite study on the Old English game in Australia It will probably be a
couple of years before it becomes available. We are into the process of
researching the material for this project.
I
may have told you that I am visiting Europe during 1996 at the invitation of
Dr Elio Corti of Valenza in Italy: He spent a month with me last May and
copied much material from my files- I hope to meet some of the people I have
corresponded with in the UK an perhaps the Netherlands. This will be most
interesting.
Over
the past 12 months the amounts of correspondence and
exchange of information has increased considerably and I have be to
work and to keep up with it. However it is all good value for the exchange of
information in a subject such as we are interested in is essential.
By
the way thank you for the info on Ball’s
Jungle Fowl of the Pacific - a handy publication. I obtained a copy some
years ago which was a useful addition to my library.
I
think I have covered the points of your letters I will study the info further
when I get mail cleared up and probably have some further comment.
All
the best for now.
Regards.