78 A NATURALIST IN THE GUIANAS 



soldiers' valour by pointing out to them two cocks 

 fighting, saying : ' These birds fight not for their gods, 

 nor for their children, nor for glory, nor for freedom, but 

 for the sake of victory, that one may not yield to the 

 other,' the example of the cocks having such an effect 

 on the flagging spirits of the soldiers that he led them 

 once more to victory. If the example of two cocks 

 fighting led the soldiers of Themistocles to victory, might 

 it not be pardonable to infer that the prevalence of cock- 

 fighting in Spanish- American republics may be in some 

 measure connected with the pugnacious and revolutionary 

 spirit of the people '? 



As I do not remember to have seen anywhere a 

 full description of the training and fighting of cocks in 

 Venezuela and Colombia, although such a description 

 would certainly prove of interest to some, I propose to 

 make an attempt at explaining all the niceties of this 

 exciting sport as I studied it at Ciudad-Bolivar and in 

 various towns of the two republics. 



Between the months of June and November there 

 are no regular cock-fights. The birds are then in the 

 moulting stage, and their feathers being soft and full of 

 blood incapacitate them for a prolonged engagement. 

 During that time, therefore, they are allowed to roam 

 about with a few hens, care being taken that each male 

 bird has a run for himself and his harem of wives. A 

 visit on the part of any other male bird would be sure 

 to have disastrous results for the owner or owners of 

 the birds. By November or December most of the birds 

 have acquired new suits of clothes and are ready to 

 undergo training. In countries like Venezuela and 

 Colombia, where cock-fighting is carried on extensively, 

 the training of the birds is conducted with the greatest 



