194 CLASS AVES. 



their eggs are not good. The second, which may be known 

 by the roughness of the crest and feet, have ceased to lay 

 altogether. 



After the common hen, that variety which holds the first 

 place in fecundity is the tufted or crested hen, which is more 

 delicate eating than the common hen, because, laying fewer 

 eggs, she grows more fat. 



Hens are of a lively, petulant, and violent character. They 

 quarrel and fight continually amongst themselves. Their in- 

 clinations are sanguinary, and manners barbarous. They 

 cannot behold one of their companions weak and languishing 

 without insulting her. If blood flows from the wounds which 

 she may have received, the entire troop will fall upon her, 

 and tear her without mercy. 



Reaumur mentions a circumstance which strongly marks 

 the ferocity of hens. He had shut up two of them with a 

 cock ; these three individuals lived for a certain time in the 

 most perfect union ; all of a sudden, the hens became dis- 

 gusted with the cock, attacked him, and after five or six days 

 of persecution, they succeeded in killing him. Surprised at 

 such extraordinary conduct, Reaumur became curious to 

 know its cause. He therefore put in several cocks succes- 

 sively to those hens. Their fury was rekindled against each 

 of them, and they would all have experienced the fate of the 

 first, if they had been left a sufficient length of time to lose 

 all their blood and strength. 



Two things are singularly worthy of remark in this adven- 

 ture. The first is, that the cocks, which were strong, hardy, 

 and robust, and could easily have reduced thirty refractory 

 hens to obedience, did not attempt to defend themselves, or 

 even to escape from the violence of the females. The other 

 is, that those hens which were so mischievously inclined when 

 shut up, became perfectly tranquil as soon as they were let 



