THE SMOOTH -LEGGED BANTAM. 323 



they could safely be removed from their mother : there were 

 two Cockerels among them. They were little things, beauti- 

 fully shaped, but ridiculously diminutive : fairy Chickens, some 

 of our friends called them They had not been with us long, 

 before the liberal supply of barley began to excite them ; and 

 the two little imps spent the greater part of their time in 

 fighting, which only made us laugh, judging serious injury im- 

 possible. But shortly, observing one unusually triumphant, 

 (for it had always been a sort of drawn game between them,) 

 and the other walking about in an odd and uncertain manner, 

 though firm and fearless, I found that this latter had both its 

 eyes closed from wounds received the day before. I carried 

 it to my dressing-room, to relieve it by sponging, and set it on 

 the stain-cloth, while I went to fetch some warm water. Still 

 blind, it began crowing vivaciously. In a few minutes, its 

 eyes were unsealed, and it was returned to the yard. But 

 battle after battle was immediately fought, and we were 

 obliged to eat one of the combatants to prevent the mutilation 

 of both. We can consequently confirm the statements of those 

 who praise the excellence of their flesh, particularly if it be 

 accompanied by a little good bread-sauce. One, that I have 

 seen, was in the constant habit of fighting, or rather sparring, 

 with a little spaniel that belonged to the same owner. Though 

 apparently attacking each other with great fury, they never 

 seemed to be really in earnest. The arrival of strangers waa 

 generally the signal for the commencement of this sham-fight, 

 which ended without bloodshed as soon as one or both of the 

 combatants were out of breath. The spaniel was mostly the 

 first to give in, when the victor evinced as much triumph as 

 if he had vanquished a feathered foe. 



The Black Bantam, in his appearance, is a pleasing littlo 

 fellow. He should have a full rose comb, clean and sinewy 

 legs, glossy plumage with almost metallic lustre, of a different 

 tint to the glancing green of the Spanish Fowl, arched and 



