THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 33 



gultus, or sobbing, as if she had suffered pain ; the notice thug 

 giv r en of her delivery was equally public at that distance of 

 time as now. How the squaws and their picaninnies would 

 chuckle to have wild birds abounding around them, that not 

 only produced an excellent egg every day, but told them where 

 to find it ! But without going into the wilderness, either east 

 or west, what would become of the larger ground-nesting birds 

 in England, the Water-hen, the Wild-duck (what has become 

 of the Bustard ?), if they were not as silent and stealthy in 

 depositing their eggs, and leading forth their young, as the Hen 

 is noisy and obtrusive ? Even Le Vaillant's ape " Kees" could 

 learn to listen for the cacklings of his master's Hens, and steal 

 their eggs. 



The habit which so large a bird as the Fowl has of retiring to 

 roost by daylight, and composing itself to repose before it is hid- 

 den and protected by the shades of night, would also be a certain 

 source of danger in a wild state. The craving hunter who 

 wanted a meal, need not fatigue himself by a search during 

 the noontide heats. He would have but to bear the pangs of 

 appetite till evening approached, and then stealing with no 

 great caution under the outstretched branches, he would find 

 a ready prey distinctly apparent between himself and the ruddy 

 glare of sunset. No wild race could survive a few years of 

 such facile, such tempting capture. Those who would reply 

 by saying that when Cocks and Hens were wild they had not 

 fallen into the imprudent fashion of roosting before dark, and 

 cackling when they dropped an egg, beg the question which we 

 are not disposed to grant them unless they can positively es- 

 tablish their claim. 



The antiquity which I thus assume for our existing race of 

 Cocks and Hens may perhaps startle some readers; but hear 

 Professor Owen on other analogous cases: "It is probable 

 that the Horse and the Ass are descendants of a species of pli- 

 ocene antiquity in Europe. There is no anatomical character 



