Nature — Mules. 119 



The cock is bold, voracious, and cruel ; and 

 one which I had many years ago, caught 

 a canary bird which had accidentally esca- 

 ped, and was observed with it beneath his ta- 

 lons, in the proper attitude of the hawk, tear- 

 ing it to pieces and devouring it. Pheasants 

 have been seen preying upon a dead car- 

 case, in company with carrion crows, and 

 it has been said that they will fall upon a 

 diseased and weak companion of their own 

 species, and devour it. They feed upon 

 all kinds of insects and vermin, like the 

 j)eacock, and are said to be particularly 

 greedy of toads, provided they be not too 

 large to swallow ; whereas, according to 

 report, they will not touch the frog, of 

 which ducks are so fond* 



The progeny between the pheasant and 

 the common fowl, are necessarily mules, 

 as proceeding from different species, al- 

 though of the same genus. They may be 

 obtained, with some little difficulty, which 

 they scarcely repay, as being neither an 

 improvement in form nor goodness of the 

 flesh. The best method is to confine a 



