302 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



on record of his displaying maternal instincts. Captain Brown 

 tells of a cock Turkey near Abingdon who manifested a 

 desire to sit and was allowed to experiment with thirteen eggs, 

 from which in three weeks he hatched twelve fine chickens. 

 A precisely similar incident occurred many years ago in 

 Sweden, according to the same authority. 

 Domestic The Domestic Fowls are too well known to need 

 ow ' description here. They are said to have descended 

 from the Java species and have long been the subjects of 

 systematic and careful culture. John Guillim who wrote in 1677 

 and whose quaint description of the peacock we have already 

 quoted, says: "As some account the eagle the queen, and 

 the swallow or wagtail the lady, so may I term this (the cock) 

 the knight amongst birds, being both of noble courage, and also 

 prepared evermore to the battel, having his comb for an helmet, 

 his sharp and hooked bill for a faulchion or court-lax, to slash 

 and wound his enemy : and as a compleat soldier armed cap- 

 a-pe, he hath his legs armed with spurs, giving example to 

 the valiant soldier to expell danger by fight, and not by flight. 

 The cock croweth when he is victor and giveth a testimony 

 of his conquest. If he be vanquished, he shunneth the light, 

 and society of men. " The cock is a courageous bird and in 

 fighting with his own kind or in the defence of his family will 

 show great gallantry and endurance. Buffon thus describes 

 an encounter of which he was an observer. He says: "I have 

 just witnessed a curious scene. A sparrow hawk alighted 

 in a populous court -yard ; when a young cock, of this year's 

 hatching, instantly darted at him, and threw him on his back. 

 In this situation, the hawk defending himself with his talons 

 and his bill, intimidated the hens and turkeys, which streamed 

 tumultuously around him. After having a little recovered 

 himself, he rose and was taking wing ; when the cock rushed 

 upon him a second time, upset him, and held him down so 

 long, that he was easily caught by a person who witnessed 

 the conflict. " The cock is said to show many of the quali- 



