100 CHARACTER OF THE DUCK. 



vided. Although the duck will eat flesh and gar- 

 bage of any kind like the chicken, yet water insects, 

 weeds, vegetables, corn, and pulse, are its gene- 

 ral food : and, as has been already observed, the 

 goose desires nothing but the latter. The inoffen- 

 sive and harmless character is common to both 

 species, rendering them most pleasant as well as 

 profitable animals to keep, and the contrast between 

 them and the chickens, in their nature and habits, is 

 highly in favour of the goose and duck tribe. In 

 fact, nothing can be more savage, cruel, and vora- 

 cious than the very nature of the common fowl, on 

 which domestication and society work no softening 

 effect. Nor is this confined to the game breed, for 

 chickens of all kinds will tear to pieces, on the 

 slightest occasions, their nearest akin, devouring 

 their living flesh and entrails. That which is said 

 of the duck has full as much truth when applied to 

 the chicken ; there is nothing too nasty, putrid, and 

 abominable to human feelings for them, upon which 

 eagerly to gratify their voracious appetites. 



The following ferocious trait in the character of 

 the gallina, or common hen, is quoted from Reaumur, 

 in the New French Dictionary of Natural History. 

 He had shut up two hens with a cock ; these three 

 individuals lived for some time in the strictest har- 

 mony : on a sudden, the hens took a dislike to the 

 cock, and they both together attacked him, and suc- 

 ceeded, in the course of five or six days' ill treatment, 

 in killing him. Surprised at such extraordinary 

 conduct, Reaumur was curious to know the cause. 

 He gave the two hens successively several cocks. 



