84 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Description, courage, &c. 



furnished with bristles at the base. The upper 

 parts of the plumage are of a lead colour, the 

 under parts are white, and the breast inclines to 

 ash-colour. The tail is brown and the legs of a 

 dark brown. 



The courage of this little creature, according 

 to the relations of respectable writers, is very 

 singular. He pursues," says Catesby, " all kinds 

 of birds that come near his station, from the 

 smallest to the largest, none escaping his fury : 

 nor did I ever see any that dared to oppose him 

 while flying; for he does not offer to attack them 

 when sitting. I have seen one of them fix on 

 the back of an eagle, and persecute him so, that 

 he has turne'd on his back, and into various pos- 

 tures in the air, in order to get rid of him ; and 

 at last was forced to alight on the top of the 

 next tree, whence he dared not move till the 

 little tyrant was tired, or thought fit to leave 

 him. This is the constant practice of the cock 

 while the hen is brooding. He sits on the top 

 of a bush, or small tree, not far from her nest, 

 near which if any small birds approach, he 

 drives them away; but the great ones, as crows, 

 hawks, and eagles, he will not suffer to come 

 within a quarter of a mile of him without attack- 

 ing them. These birds have only a chattering 

 note, which they utter with great vehemence 

 all the time they are fighting. When their 

 young are flown, they are as peaceable as other 

 birds. 







