68 TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE 



less known sports of "hen threshing" and "cock 

 throwing.'' 



For the former amusement a live hen was slung over a 

 man's back who also carried horse bells, and was pursued 

 about some court or enclosure by a number of blindfolded 

 fellows, each of whom held a bough, with which they 

 sought to kill the hen, amusing the bystanders meantime 

 with the blows they bestowed on one another and on the 

 bearer of the hen. 



" Cock throwing " was a sport practised on Shrove 

 Tuesday. The bird being tied by the leg, the thrower had 

 to stand twenty-two yards off from it, and then try to 

 knock down the bird by throwing a stick, after which he 

 had to run up and catch it before it could recover its legs. 

 In London, so late as 1680, money paid for this cruel 

 sport was one of the sources set apart for the mainte- 

 nance of the poor, and it was a recognised amusement 

 of the lads of English public schools till about the 

 year 1700. 



The parent of the domestic fowl {Gallus bankiva) — the 

 Bankiva fowl — is found wild over a very extensive 

 range of country, usually from the Himalayas down to 

 Timor and the Philippine Islands. It much resembles 

 the game fowl, as also do several other species of the 

 same great Indian region. To that region also belong 

 the peacocks and various handsome pheasants. Peacocks 

 are common enough in various parts of India, nor can 

 those who have once enjoyed it easily forget the glorious 

 sight of a number of these birds displaying their gorgeous 

 plumage in the sun. But the Javan peacock, with its 

 lovely neck of green and gold, is even more beautiful. 

 We all talk of the " tail " of the peacock, and yet the 

 feathers which form the part we thus name, are not 

 really " tail feathers," but answer to the much smaller 



