CLASS II. AVES: ORDER 5. RASORES. 



255 



pursued with great eagerness by all classes, the highest as well as the lowest.* It is now chiefly 

 given up in this countryf and in England, to gamblers of the most degraded class. In Mexico and 

 South America, however, it is still practiced, and we are told that even the priest does not dis- 

 dain, after the ministrations of the pulpit, and on the Sabbath, to bring his fighting-cock to the 

 pit, and take his chance in the game. 



The Polish Fowl is said to be quite unknown in Poland, taking its name from some fancied 

 resemblance between its tufted crest and the feathered caps of the Polish soldiers. The general 

 color is black : the distinguishing feature is a full, parasol-shaped crest. The hens are good lay- 

 ers, but bad sitters. They are rather ornamental than useful. 



Other varieties are the Bolton Graij, the Hamburgh, the Chittagong ^ the Rumpless or Rump- 

 kin, the Silky, the JVer/ro, the Frizzled or Friesland, the Cuckoo, the Blue-Dun, the Lark-crested 

 the Bantams of several kinds, &c. Indeed, the subject of Poultry is almost a science, and there 

 are numerous books devoted to its practical and scientific elucidation. 



PEACOCK. 



THE PAVOXIX.E OR PEA-FOWL. 



Genus PAVO : Pavo. — To this belongs the most splendid of birds, the Peacock, P. cristatus : 

 the male of this species is noted for its long, lustrous tail, which it occasionally spreads, glittering 



* From a work on cock-fighting we extract the following, referring to a period of some two centuries ago : " Cock- 

 ing was kept up with great spirit at Newcastle, England. At one of their last meetings, the cockers at the above 

 place, in point of extent, exceeded every thing of the kind known in Great Britain. Upward of two hundred cocks 

 were fought, and the fighting generally good, particularly the cocks of Baglin Hill and Lockey, which all won great 

 majorities. A remarkable circumstance occurred on the Saturday before fighting. A match was made for twenty 

 sovereigns between Parker and Reed, feeders, and won by the latter, after a hard contest. Parker's cock, however, 

 came round so soon after, that his party made a second match, to come off on the following Monday, for a like sum, 

 which was again won by Reed, after a severe battle — a circumstance, perhaps, unknown in the annals of cocking. 

 It is also calculated that, at the termination of the races, which finished with cocking, upward of one thousand cocks 

 met their deaths. Newcastle, therefore, challenged the world for cocking. Cheltenham, Chester, Gloucester, Nor- 

 wich, Lancaster, Preston, Stamford, kc, &c., were celebrated for their cocks. The patrons were the Earl of Derby, 

 Sir William Wynne, Ralph Benson, Esq., &c., &c." 



+ Since this was written, we have met with the following in the newspapers, referring to San Antonio, in Texas: 



