COCK, HEN, AND CHICKENS. 173 



to the discussion of others : satisfied with the fact, let us 

 decline speculation. 



In their first propagation in Europe, there were distinc- 

 tions then that now subsist no longer. The ancients es- 

 teemed those fowls whose plumage was reddish as inval- 

 uable ; but as for the white, it was considered as utterly 

 unfit for domestic purposes. These they regarded as sub- 

 ject to become a prey to rapacious birds ; and Aristotle 

 thinks them less fruitful than the former. Indeed, his di- 

 vision of those birds seems to be taken from their culinary 

 uses ; the one sort he calls generous and noble, being 

 remarkable for fecundity ; the other sort, ignoble and 

 useless, from their sterility. These distinctions differ 

 widely from our modern notions of generosity in this 

 animal; that which we call the game-cock being by no 

 means so fruitful as the ungenerous dunghill-cock, which 

 we treat with contempt. The Athenians had their cock- 

 matches as well as we ; but it is probable they did not 

 enter into our refinement of choosing out the most barren of 

 the species for the purposes of combat. 



However this be, no animal in the world has greater 

 courage than the cock, when opposed to one of his own 

 species ; and in every part of the world where refinement 

 and polished manners have not entirely taken place, cock- 

 fighting is a principal diversion. In China, India, the 

 Philippine islands, and all over the East, cock-fighting is 

 the sport and amusement even of kings and princes. With 

 us it is declining every day ; and it is to be hoped it will 

 in time become only the pastime of the lowest vulgar. It 

 is the opinion of many, that we have a bolder and more 

 valiant breed than is to be found elsewhere ; and some, 

 indeed, have entered into a serious discussion upon the 

 cause of so flattering a singularity. But the truth is, they 

 have cocks in China as bold, if not bolder, than ours ; and, 

 what would still be considered as valuable among cockers 

 here, they have more strength with less weight. Indeed, 



