4 TALKS ABOUT BIRDS 



India, who knew a good deal more about 

 cock-fighting than he ought to have done, as 

 it is illegal there just as it is here, told me that 

 a tamed jungle-cock will generally beat any 

 game-cock, as he is so much more clever with 

 his spurs, but he said the wild bird has not the 

 courage of the game-cock, and will run away 

 if he finds he is getting the worst of it. 



However, these wild cocks do kill each other 

 in the forest at times, for one has been picked 

 up dead with such a wound as the spur would 

 give, and they seem to have regular " cock- 

 pits " of their own. Mr. Hume, who is one of 

 the greatest authorities on Indian birds, once 

 had the good luck to find one of these fighting- 

 places. Some native gipsies told him they 

 could show it to him, and took him to an 

 open place in the forest where there was a 

 mound all littered with fowls' feathers, and 

 said if he climbed up into a tree near by before 

 daybreak he could see what went on. He did 

 this, and heard the wild cocks crow and 

 answer each other, and presently one ran out 

 on to the mound with his tail up, which 

 showed he was in a warlike frame of mind, 

 for the wild fowl usually trails his tail like a 



