106 



HISTORY OF 



tbeir prison To say this more simply, many of the wilder spe- 

 cies of birds, when cooped or caged, pine away, grow gloomy, 

 and some refuse all sustenance whatever ; none, except those of 

 the poultry kind, grow fat, who seem to lose all remembrance 

 of their former liberty, satisfied with indolence and plenty. 



The poultry kind may be considered as sensual epicures, 

 solely governed by their appetites. The indulgence of these 

 seems to influence their other habits, and destroys among them 

 that connubial fidelity for which most other kinds are remark- 

 able. The eagle and the falcon, how fierce soever to other ani- 

 mals, are yet gentle and true to each other ; their connections, 

 when once fora.ed, continue till death ; and the male and female, 

 ill every exigence, and every duty, lend faithful assistance to 

 each other. They assist each other in the production of their 

 young, in providing for them when produced ; and even then, 

 though they drive them forth to fight their own battles, yet the 

 old ones still retain their former affection to each other, and sel- 

 dom part far asunder. 



But it is very different with this luxurious class I am now describ- 

 ing. Their courtship is but short and their congress fortuitous. 

 The male takes no heed of his offspring, and satisfied with the 

 pleasure of getting, leaves to the female all the care of provid- 

 ing for posterity. Wild and irregular in his appetites, he ranges 

 from one to another ; and claims every female which he is 

 strong enough to keep from his fellows. Though timorous 

 when opposed to birds of prey, yet he is incredibly bold among 

 those of his own kind ; and but to see a male of his own species 

 is sufficient to produce a combat. As his desires extend to 

 all, every creature becomes his enemy that pretends to be bis 

 rival. 



The female, equally without fidelity or attachment, yields to 

 the most powerful. She stands by a quiet meretricious spec- 

 tator of their fury, ready to reward the conqueror with every 

 compliance. She takes upon herself all the labour of hatching 

 and bringing up her young, and chooses a place for hatching as 

 remote as possible from the cock. Indeed she gives herself very 

 little trotible in making her nest, as her young ones are to leave 

 it the instant they part from the shell. 



She is equally unassisted in providing for her young, that are 

 not fed with meat put into their mouths, as in other classes 



