Prof Stanley J. Olsen - Dept of Anthropology
University of Arizona - Tucson

21-10-1980

Dear Professor Olsen,

You will recall my recent letters to you regarding my research on the domestic chicken.

However I am writing on this occasion enclosing a press cutting of a recent discovery here in Australia which I felt may be of interest to you or some of your colleagues at Tucson.

We don’t have too many of these discoveries in Australia, so it is quite an event.

Further to my Chicken research since last writing I received a letter from Dr L.B.Halstead of University of Reading (England) who has forwarded my enquiry to C.A.Walker of the British Museum who may have some information relating to the fossil birds which could fill in a gap or two.

Also another correspondent of mine Dr Pat Rich of the Earth Sciences Department of Monash University in Melbourne advised of a paper published in 1977 by Jànossy on discoveries of chickens bones etc in the Carpathian Basin In Europe which would appear to have some bearing on the origin of the Chicken.

I have contacted Professor Specht, Curator of Anthropology at the Australian Museum in Sydney on endeavour to obtain a copy of Jànossy’s paper which I believe available in a publication edited by that institution.

I am also told that the paper is written in Hungarian, but a Hungarian friend of mine tells me she will endeavour to translate it for me. She has been out in Australia for many years and is a bit rusty on the Hungarian language, but will do her best. Hopefully it may contain some useful information.

Hoping the press cutting is of interest.

Sincerely yours,