242 THE GAME FOWL. 



for which his Lordship almost always had down his own regu- 

 lar Setter, and report was regularly made as to the conduct of 

 each bird in these preliminary combats. The birds selected 

 for these, were of course not the very best, but generally 

 chosen because of some slight defect or accident which would 

 have been undesirable to have produced in the public Pit, but 

 which did not interfere with the powers or prowess of the bird, 

 and would thus aiford a clue to judge of the qualities of his 

 brethren. Some sorts were thus of course at once condemned, 

 and others removed for further trial, and some selected for 

 keeping as stock for breeding and fighting. According to these 

 reports, a sufficient number of each approved sort were set 

 aside from the stud-book for the regular main, and collected 

 shortly before it, to be handed over to the regular Feeder, of 

 whom Lord Derby employed several. The last, who fed for his 

 lordship many years, was one Potter, who has now been dead 

 some time, and his son has sometimes followed the same line. 

 There used to be very great jealousy observed among the 

 Feeders, so much so, that young Potter and Iloscoe always 

 slept in the Pen-room previous to, and during a main, and the 

 key was never out of their possession, or the Feeder's ; nor 

 sometimes could even Lord Derby's son have obtained ad- 

 mission, unless with one of them, or as a very great and spe- 

 cial favour. After Lord Derby gave up his mains, Eoscoe, 

 and, since his death, his son, has been employed in the care 

 of the decreased number of G ame Fowls about Knowsley, for 

 the supply of the House with poultry and eggs, and with 

 liens for incubation ; but a good many more were given to 

 Iloscoe to do as he pleased with ; so that whenever the present 

 Earl wanted to send some to foreign countries, he could not 

 tell where to apply, and was obliged to have recourse to the 

 present Iloscoe to find out the small remaining stock. The 

 correctness of the breed now in his lordship's possession, there- 

 fore, depends entirely upon him. The terms used by Cockers 



