40 GAME FOWL. 



but it was feeding time, and I beheld innumerable rocky beaks, 

 and sparkling eyes at work in the troughs ; and the stroke of the 

 beak, in taking up the barley, was like the knock of a manly 

 knuckle on the table. Old Nash was mixing bread and milk for 

 his feathered family. 



The flesh of the game fowl is white, tender, and delicate ; the 

 eggs rather small, mostly inclining to a light buff. Cockers hare 

 numerous names for the different colours such as piles, black- 

 breasted reds, silver-breasted ducks, birchin ducks, dark grays, 

 mealy grays, blacks, spangles, furnaces, polecats, cuckoos, gin- 

 gers, duns, red duns, smoky duns, among all of which good birds 

 may be found ; but the following eight are superior to any parti- 

 coloured birds namely, dark reds, dark black-breasted reds, 

 dark black-breasted birchin ducks, dark black-breasted berry 

 birchins, silver black-breasted duck-wing grays, clear mealy grays, 

 dark black- breasted grays, and red duns. 



The general appearance of the hen is quite in character with 

 that of the cock. In one respect she is a more important per- 

 sonage, as it is an axiom among cock-masters that the produce of 

 an ill-bred hen is worthless no matter how superior the cock may 

 be, but that an indifferent cock and superior hen may produce 

 good birds. It is not indispensable that the eggs should be buff- 

 coloured : that generally-received idea, is a popular error. 



To enter into the minutiae of the course preparatory to fighting, 

 would exceed my limits, and add but little to the " industrial 

 resources" of the cottager. Suffice it to say, the cock is confined 

 for a month, in a small, wooden pen, with but little light ; fed at 

 various periods of his incarceration, with different descriptions of 

 food, adapted to bring about the condition of wind and limb re- 

 quired, and stimulate his natural propensity; allowed but little 

 water ; taken out occasionally and put to spar with some of his 

 compeers their spurs rendered harmless, by leather mufflers, 

 much after the fashion of the "fives court." During the period 

 of preparation, the mane and vent feathers are cut off, the tail 

 and wing feathers are made very short, and the spurs truncated, 

 for the convenience of fastening on sharp, artificial gaffs of steel 

 or silver, about an inch and a half in length, with which the battle 

 is sometimes finished, at the first rise or flight. 



Some persons cut off the comb and wattles at a very early age ; 

 others pursue a contrary course, and defer the operation until a 

 full development takes place. I have heard of its being done in 

 the cock- pit previous to setting to. There are also several fanci- 

 ful cuts amongst the cockers, all of which have their advocates. 



