162 BOMBAY DUCKS 



pullarius must have been trying experiments with them, 

 for they refused the food offered them. This was too 

 much for Claudius Pulcher, who was consulting them ; 

 he fairly lost his temper, seized the recalcitrant birds, 

 and threw them into the sea, with the remark, " If you 

 won't eat, you rascals, you shall drink ! " 



Our mediaeval ancestors highly honoured the cock. 

 Gerald Legh asserts that "the Cocke is the royallest 

 birde that is, and of himself a king, for Nature hath 

 crowned him with a perpetual diademe, to hime and 

 his posteritie for ever. He is the valliantest in battle 

 of all birdes, for he will rather die than yielde to his 

 adversarie.' The cock, moreover, was believed to be 

 able to impart his valour. 



Porta writes : "If you would have a man become 

 bold and impudent, let him carry about the skin or 

 eyes of a lion or cock, and he will be fearless of his 

 enemies nay, he will be very terrible unto them." 

 Extract of cock was held to be a cure for con- 

 sumption. 



The prescription runs : " Take a red cock, cut him 

 into quarters, and put him into an earthenware pot 

 with the rootes of fennell, parcely and succory, corans, 

 whole mace, Anise seeds, and liqorice scraped and 

 slyced, two or three clean dates, a few prunes and 

 raysons." Then add half a pint of rosewater and a 

 quart of white wine and stew the whole gently for 

 twelve hours. A teaspoonful of the resulting broth 

 should be taken twice a day. 



The fowl, alas ! has now fallen from his high estate, 

 especially in India. In this country, although it is the 



