ON COCK-FIGHTING. 313 



their coins, which had on them two fighting 

 cocks. 



On two antient gems, in the collection of Sir 

 JViUiam Hamilton,* are strong memorials of 

 this custom : on one is a Cock, with his head 

 erect, carrying in his bill a palm-branch, in 

 token of victory over another, which is standing 

 before with a drooping head. On the other, 

 are two in the action of fighting, and a mouse 

 above, running away with an ear of corn, the 

 cause of the battle : from both these represent- 

 ations, it is evident that the antients neither 

 trimmed- their Cocks, or cut off their combs 

 and wattles. 



The race of birds most esteemed by the an- 

 tients, was that of Tanagra, a city of Bceotia, 

 the Isle of Rhodes, Chalcis in Euboea, and the 

 country of Media,'\ They preferred the larger 

 kind, or what we call Shakehags. The hens of 

 Ale.vandf^ia in Egypt, called Movo^o^ot, were high- 

 ly valued for breeding spirited chickens. J 



From Greece the diversion was carried to 

 Rome; but did not arrive at the height of folly 

 as it did at Athens. The Romans delighting 

 more in quail fightings, as the Chinese do at 



* Archceologia, vol. iii. tab. ix. 

 t Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. x. c. 21. 

 \ Geoponic. lib. xiv. c. 7. 



