CHAP. II.] FARMING FOR LADIES. 35 



southern parts of India, in many districts of 

 which they are found wild in great abundance, 

 but at what period they were here introduced 

 and domesticated, is now unknown. It is, in- 

 deed, singular that no allusion to it has been 

 made in the remotest history of ages, though 

 their reduction to a domestic state for the use 

 of man could not, it may be supposed, have 

 been easily accomplished ; for, although not 

 light upon the wing, and, in fact, rather of 

 terrestrial than aerial habits, they are yet so 

 shy and averse to restraint, that, if originally 

 wild, it must have taken a long series of pa- 

 tient attempts to succeed in bringing them to 

 subjection. So light, wholesome, and agree- 

 able is, however, the food which they produce, 

 that we cannot wonder at the perseverance 

 employed for their subjection, the success of 

 which has been so universal that there is 

 scarcely a rural habitation around which may 

 not be found scores of cocks and hens. 



The Cock of the Wood is by some physiolo- 

 gists supposed to have been the progenitor of 

 those gallinaceous tribes which are now do- 

 mesticated throughout Europe; while others 

 — under the authority of Bufion — attribute 



d2 



