Popular Jatcttfliiarj) Ql &mmatctt Mature. 139 



with several varieties of the Cock in the 

 wild or natural condition, it is quite rea- 

 sonable to conclude that the race was first 

 domesticated in the East, and gradually 

 extended thence to the rest of the world. 

 It seems to be generally understood, indeed, 

 that the Cock was first introduced into 

 Europe from Persia : it has, however, been 

 10 long established throughout the Western 

 regions, that to attempt to trace its progress 

 from its native wilds would be a useless 

 waste of time. We figure what many na- 

 turalists regard as the origin of our domestic 

 poultry, the very handsome Javanese wild 

 fowl ; but it is our firm belief that domes- 

 ticated animals are in general not traceable 

 to any wild stock or race. 



The Domestic Cock has his head sur- 

 mounted by a notched, crimson, fleshy sub- 

 stance, called a comb ; and two pendulous 

 fleshy bodies of the same colour, termed 

 wattles, hang under his throat. The hen 

 has also a similar, but not so large nor so 

 vividly coloured excrescence on her head. 

 The Cock is provided with a sharp horn or 

 spur on the outside of his tarsus, with which 

 he inflicts severe wounds ; the hen, instead 

 of a spur, has a mere knot or tubercle. There 

 is, in both sexes, below the ear, an oblong 

 spot, the interior edge of which is reddish, 

 and the remainder white. The feathers 

 arise in pairs from each sheath, touching by 

 their points within the skin, but diverging 

 in their course outwards. On the neck they 

 are long, narrow, and floating ; on the rump 

 they are of the same form, but drooping 

 laterally over the extremity of the wings, 

 which are quite short, and terminate at the 

 origin of the tail, the plumes of which are 

 vertical. In the centre of the Cock's tail 

 are two long feathers, which fall backwards 

 in a graceful arch, and add great beauty to 

 the whole aspect of the fowl. It is in vain 

 to offer any description of the colour of the 

 plumage, as it is infinitely varied, being in 

 some breeds of the greatest richness and 

 elegance, and in ethers of the simplest and 

 plainest hue. Except in the pure white 

 breeds, the plumage of the cock is always 

 more splendid than that of the hen : his 

 apparent consciousness of personal beauty, 

 courage, and gallantry, seem never to forsake 

 him, whether we regard his stately march, 



at the head of his train of wives and nume- 

 rous offspring, or watch him as he crows 

 defiance to a rival. His sexual powers are 

 matured when he is about six months old, 

 and his full vigour lasts for about three 

 years. 



The hen, if left to herself, forms a very 

 ndifterent nest : a simple hole scratched in 

 ;he ground among a few bushes is the only 

 preparation she usually makes, and she 

 generally lays from twelve to fifteen eggs 

 iefore she begins to sit upon them for the 

 purpose of hatching. But she now becomes 

 a model of enduring patience, remaining [ 

 fixed in her place until the urgency of hunger I 

 forces her to go in search of food. During | 

 the time of her sitting she diligently turns : 

 and shifts her eggs, so that each may receive 

 a due degree of genial warmth ; and it is not 

 until about three weeks have elapsed that the 

 ncubation is completed. The strongest of the 

 progeny then begin to chip the shell with 

 the bill, arid are successively enabled to 

 burst their brittle prisons. The whole family 

 being at length emancipated, the parent 

 leads them forth in search of food. In her 

 nature the hen is timid ; but in discharging 

 the duties of maternity she becomes bold, 

 and indiscriminately attacks every aggressor, 

 watches over the safety of her young with 

 the utmost jealousy, neglects the demands 

 of her own appetite to divide the food she 

 may obtain among her nurslings, and labours 

 with untiring diligence to provide them 

 sufficient sustenance. 



The Cock is very attentive to his females, 

 hardly ever losing sight of them : he leads, 

 defends, and cherishes them ; collects them 

 together >hen they straggle, and seems to 

 eat unwillingly till he sees them feeding 

 around him. Mons. Parrmentier, a cele- 

 brated French naturalist, has thus described 

 the Cock : " He is considered to have every 

 requisite quality when he is of a good mid- 

 dling size j when he carries his head high ; 

 has a quick animated look ; a strong and 

 shrill voice, short bill, and fine red comb, 

 shining as if varnished ; wattles of a large 

 size, and of the same colour as the comb ; 

 the breast broad ; the wings strong ; the 

 plumage black, or of an obscure red : the 

 thighs very muscular ; the legs thick, and 

 furnished with strong spurs ; the claws 

 rather bent, and sharply pointed. He ought 

 also to be free in his motions, to crow fre- 

 quently, and to scratch the ground often in 

 search of worms, not so much for himself as 

 to treat his hens. He ought withal to be 

 brisk, spirited, ardent, and ready in caressing 

 the hens ; quick in defending them, at- 

 tentive in soliciting them to eat, in keeping 

 them together, and in assembling them at 

 night." 



After the common or dunghill breed which 

 we have described, the principal varieties 

 are The GAME COCK, which is more dis- 

 tinguished for its unusual length of spur, and 

 its courage, than for any great peculiarity 

 in its plumage ; the DOKKINQ fowl, which 

 has two toes behind, and is considerably 

 larger than the other European species ; 

 the POLAND breed, which is black-feathered, 

 with white topknots ; the BANTAM COCK, 



