THE BANKIVA COCK. 181 



noisy and ridiculous pastime of this period " Thresh- 

 ing the Hen." 



At Shrovetide to shroving go thresh the fat hen, 

 If blindfold can kill him, then give it thy men. 



Tusser. 



" The Hen," says Brand, " was hung at a fellow's 

 back, who has also some horse bells about him ; the 

 rest of the fellows are blinded, and have boughs in 

 their hands, with which they chase this fellow with 

 his hen about some large court or small enclosure, 

 the fellow with his hen and bells shifting as well as 

 he can, they follow the sound, and sometimes hit 

 him and his hen ; at other times, if he can get be- 

 hind one of them, they thrash one another right fa- 

 vourably. When the hen was killed, it was boiled 

 with bacon, and store of pancakes and fritters are 

 made." 



For economical purposes there is no bird used to 

 the same extent. Among all nations it is most ex- 

 tensively reared, and we believe is one of the only 

 instances where artificial means have been attempted 

 with success. The Egyptians have practised this 

 manner of rearing poultry with the greatest nicety, 

 and in the edifices heated by flues, .and constructed 

 for this purpose only, from 40,000 to 50,000 chickens 

 could be hatched at once. This was attempted to 

 be introduced into various parts of Europe by 

 Reaumur, but with only partial success, and within 

 these few years an establishment to a considerable 

 extent was tried in London. The temperature of 



