60 



THE POULTRY-BOOK. 



The portraits at the head of this article are from life, taken 

 from fowls in possession of Mr. Sidney Packard, of East 

 Bridgewater, and are excellent specimens of the race. 



THE GAME FOWL. 



No satisfactory information seems to be accessible by which 

 to pronounce with certainty on the origin of the game breeds. 

 The probability, however, is, that these fowls, like other of the 

 choicest varieties, are natives of India. It is certain that in 

 India an original race of game fowls exists, at the present day, 

 bearing all the peculiar characteristics of the species, in full 

 perfection. In India, as is well known, the natives are infected 

 with a passion for cock-fighting. For this barbarous amuse- 

 ment, these fowls are carefully bred, and the finest birds be- 

 come articles of great value. In Sumatra, the inhabitants are 

 * so much addicted to the cruel sport to which these fowls are 

 devoted, that it is said, on good authority, that instances have 

 occurred of men staking not only their property on the issue 

 of a fight, but even their wives and children ! The Chinese 

 also are prone to this miscalled sport ; and, indeed, it is a com- 

 mon practice among all the Indian countries professing the 

 Mussulman creed. 



In ancient times, the most civilized nations numbered cock- 

 fighting amongst their public amusements ; and the Romans, 

 who were a sanguinary people, especially delighted in it. By 

 them it was probably introduced into Britain, at the invasion 

 oY Julius Caesar ; and the date of the origin of the game fowl, 

 in that country, may be most reasonably referred to the same 

 period, though some writers assert that it should be fixed at 

 an earlier era. 



