112 



STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 



€tiE Ilnmtstir Cnrlt nni jDrn. 



Fu^!^y 



'.\j^ REAT mistakes, I am very sure, are 



often made in judging of the char- 

 acter of different animals, h'om not 

 taking into the account all the facts 

 that can be gleaned in relation to the 

 habits of such animals. I am not alto- 

 gether certain that our busy, pompous, crowing 

 friend, the rooster, has not been misjudged and 

 misunderstood, from the one-sided view which 

 has been taken of him. It cannot be denied 

 that he 'struts a good deal, and makes a great 

 boast of his warlike feats, on which account he 

 has entailed upon his race the reputation of 

 being entirely deficient in courage. But that 

 notion is not strictly correct. Instances have 

 been known in which the cock has displayed 

 considerable heroism. 



Buffon states that he once saw a hen hawk 



