80 FARMING FOR LADIES. [chap. hi. 



The cock is indeed a gallant little fellow, 

 of such high courage that he will not shrink 

 from measuring his prowess with one of ano- 

 ther race though double his own size ; and we 

 have more than once seen him drive a dung-hill 

 bully from the court. He is also capable of 

 such attachment to his mate, that we remember 

 a Bantam cock and hen which were kept for 

 some years as favourites, without any others, 

 in the stable-yard of our father, and when at 

 length the hen died, the cock, seeing her 

 lifeless, but naturally unconscious of its being 

 a final separation, hovered round her, call- 

 ing to her, and pecking at her gently, as if to 

 awake her. Though corn was offered to him, 

 he refused to eat, or to roost at night, but 

 moped round the yard, vainly searching for 

 his old companion, when, not finding her, he 

 flew away, and was never after heard of 



The breed, though so small, is in great 

 estimation for the superior delicacy of its 

 flesh, which is so high flavoured as to have been 

 dressed and passed off as partridge. The hens 

 also lay a profusion of eggs, of such excellent 

 quality, that, notwithstanding their diminutive- 

 ness, their effect in pastry is thought by many 



