PIGEONS. 93 



kicked several yards, like a foot-ball, he would still 

 come on as fiercely as ever, for three or four times. 



During one of these assaults, he received an injury, 

 which lamed him for a week; hut no sooner had he 

 recovered than he became as pugnacious as ever. 

 His reasoning, too, appeared to be on a par with his 

 courage, for he soon discovered that women were 

 protected by the lower part of their dress, and, ac- 

 cordingly, instead of flying at their legs and feet, he 

 invariably flew at their heads, fixing himself on their 

 shoulders. To such a degree did he carry on this 

 warfare, that the female who had charge of feeding 

 the fowls, and had been accustomed to poultry all 

 her life, never ventured into the yard without some 

 weapon of defence. His offensive operations were 

 carried on with such persevering spirit, that for fear 

 of his doing some serious injury, particularly to chil- 

 dren, it was at last found necessary to destroy him. 



This boldness is not always confined to the do- 

 mestic tenants of the farm-yard. The following 

 instances prove that even the wild Pheasant of the 

 woods, and the still more shy and solitary Bustard 

 of the plains, can occasionally lay aside their fear of 

 the human race, and fight as fierce a battle as this 

 Game Cock. 



A young lady walking alone, a few miles from 

 Stirling, observed a beautiful cock Pheasant, perched 

 on a stone by the road side. Instead of showing 

 timidity at her approach, he flew down upon her, 

 and with spurs and beak began a furious assault. 

 Being closely pursued, and seeing no way of escape 

 from the enraged bird, she adopted the only alter- 

 native that was left, namely, of seizing her adversary, 



