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THE COCK OF THE SECOND CENTURY. 

 By E. Cambridge Phillips, F.L.S., &c. 



Through the kindness of the Rev. P. H. S. Strong of the Woolhope Naturalists' 

 Field Club, I send you an impression of a curious antique bloodstone or Gnostic 

 gem, found by him at a place called Hillah, near Baghdad, almost on the ruins of 

 Babylon, where Hillah, a small town, is situated. This gem is figured in Mr. 

 King's Handbook of Engraved Gems, p. 97, and is almost identical with the above, 

 except that this one faces towards the west, and I think the head of the cock is 

 more distinct, whilst those in the handbook referred to face towards the east, and 

 the heads there somewhat resemble that of an eagle's, except in that numbered 3. 



In the one before us the head of the cock is unmistakable, and it will be 

 interesting to those who take an interest in the origin and subsequent history of 

 domestic poultry, as pointing out the prevalent type of poultry at this time viz., 

 the second century. This, I think, we may fairly accept, assuming — and I fear 

 assumption must go some way — that the engraver copied his bird's head from the 

 ordinary domestic cock of the country. 



The cock's head in this instance is plainly single-combed, somewhat serrated, 

 with the hackle plainly distinguishable, and with rather pendulous wattles — the 

 last a probable sign of domestication. I think, on the whole, we may consider 

 the head resembling that of the Game breed, and that this was probably the 

 representative fowl of the East at this date. It is worth while remarking that 

 the double comb, as well as the pea-comb, seems to have been unknown at this 

 time— the former being, I believe, a development of the latter within the last 

 three centuries. I have never observed it either in paintings by Hondecooter or 

 any of the old masters, although I have occasionally seen the leaf-like comb of 

 the Houdan depicted in birds much resembling those of the present day. 



Into the meaning and further description of the above gem I will not now 

 enter, but merely refer my readers to the excellent account of it in King's Hand- 

 book of Engraved Gems. 



