Dr Edmund Hoffmann
Canning - Nova Scotia - Canada

17-11-1987

Dear Ed,

Received your mail (both letters) today for which I thank you very much. Yes I have been writing to Fred Jeffrey for some years and he has been most helpful whenever I have sought information from him. He is most knowledgeable in colour breeding, a subject which interests me more than somewhat. His book Bantam Chickens  was very good. Every poultry breeder should have it on their bookshelf.

I was most interested in the photostats you sent me. I have not had time to study them in depth but will do so. I have not seen Kimball’s material before so this will be new for me. I have heard of him however.

The other material from Feather Fancies. I knew this was in the pipeline but didn’t know it was so far advanced. Loyl Stromberg who has my book on the Jungle Fowls asked me to send a copy to the Editor of Feather Fancier. Loyl said F.F. was going to do an article on the subject. This I did only last week. He would not have received it by the time that article went to press. I could find nothing new in the article. No one seems to come up with a story as from what Gallus Bankiva came from.

I don’t think the heading is quite right The Evolution and Distribution of the Domestic Fowl. I think when we speak on evolution we have go back a long way and distribution occurred much earlier than covered in the article.

No I have not seen Mason’s book (1984 I think), but I do have a copy of the chapter on domesticated chicken. It was written by Professor Crawford of the University of Saskatchewan but I’m afraid nothing new turned up there either. He didn’t break any new ground from what I could see. I sent him my Chicken Bone (supplement notes) and did not hear from him from quite some time until I wrote again when he advised he had not had time to study it. I have now sent him the Jungle Fowl  but perhaps I have thrown cat in among the pigeons both with those booklets for as you will note my Chicken Bone (supplement notes) brings forth the later evidence to hand of China 5000 BC, NE Thailand 3500 BC recoveries. This somewhat changes the scene of the early documentation regarding domestication of the fowl.

Higham said that in Thailand chickens were buried with humans (whole skeleton of chickens) so they must have been domesticated there at 3500 BC.

I would like to get in touch with Johannson. I  wrote to him some years ago but never received an answer. Would appreciate his current address. He was in Oregon I think.

I have done a lot of homework in my researches and it’s a hard road. However the only way is to keep scouting around and I think in the long term it pays dividends. When the relevant material is put together in one package as I have endeavoured to do it does make some sort of a story. My writings are not literary masterpieces by any stretch of the imagination. All I can do is to present facts that I have learned. I have had not former training in the field of writing. However if I can put up some information someone else may be able to do something with it.

I you ever want any information at all write to DR W.H. (Bill) Longenecker. I think he is still there. He was most helpful to me and is only too happy to assist any research.

OK re your translation in Paris. Afraid I wouldn’t be any good at the translation but if I could get into some of those places I am sure there would be something to learn.

I don’t have a word processor or computer. Will have to battle on. Would like to have a photocopier. I printed my previous books on a Gestetner duplicator, hard road.

Will be interested in the Muscovy duck details when you get it updated.

Scanned through your Immigrant from India story and was very interested in the possibilities of distribution across the Atlantic to the Americas.

I have still to do section in my Origin etc series on Distribution and Diffusion and do have some ideas on the subject. I am a great fan of Thor Heyerdahl and his voyages by raft and papyrus boats across Pacific, Atlantic and later from the Garden of Eden down the Persian Gulf to India, then across to Africa. In my opinion Heyerdahl proved that it was possible movement could have occurred in the manner he used well before Columbus. The argument I think still goes on re pre-Columbian chickens in the Americas.

I would like to contact Glenn Whitely you might have his full address? Your article does raise points of interest. There is no doubt there a lot of questions to find answer for.

Ok re your age. I am 66 but fortunately have kept good health so far. Hope it stays that way. Only problem my eyesight not the best. My regret it that I did not begin this work earlier in my lifetime although I have been breeding chickens in conjunction with my son for over 20 years and this has been a good background. There is so much to learn, so much we don’t know. However I find the work very satisfying.

Hope I haven’t missed anything from your letter. Thanks once again for material.

Regards,