72 GAME BIRDS AND SHOOTING-SKETCHES 



hath come oft' second best eventually gets clear, he has 

 generally had about enough for the time being, and is 

 either chased ignominiously off the ground to hide his 

 diminished head in some quiet corner, or wings it off" 

 altogether to the nearest wood. This is only temporary, 

 however, for he does not consider that he is altogether 

 vanquished till he has made at least another attempt to 

 display his prowess. The victor gives his plumage a shake, 

 and calmly proceeds to select for himself a position of 

 vantage in the shape of a grassy mound, the possession of 

 which he is now prepared to contest with any opponent 

 who may be bold enough to tackle him, and if the birds 

 are at all numerous he is not long in having his wish 

 gratified. He seats himself composedly on his little hillock 

 (as indicated in the upper figures of the sketch), and again 

 commences his song of war, at which some wandering 

 knight, who yet has his laurels to win, soon takes offence 

 and at once challenges him. Now T , in preparation for this 

 coming battle the victor of the former strife entirely alters 

 his tactics, and his attitude is one purely of a defensive 

 nature ; for, after rising to his feet, he simply watches the 

 advance of his adversary with lowered head, allowing the 

 latter to waste his energies in futile attempts at getting 

 above or behind his guard, till the process of fencing- 

 wearies him, when with one quick movement he repeats 

 the lesson he gave his former antagonist. 



A good fight is very interesting to watch, and 

 sometimes lasts for a long time when the two are evenly 

 matched ; but this is rarely the case, and one or the 

 other usually gets the best of it in the first round. I 

 have never seen them engage in a general melee as 



