70 COCKER S MANUAL. 



ENGLISH NOTES ON COCKS AND COCKERS. 



The following brief notes on the past and present cocks, cockers 

 and cocking in England were furnished at the request of the author 

 by J. Harris, who has been enthusiastically devoted to the sod from a 

 child, and who has not merely had a local experience of a few birds 

 and men, but has assisted and also fought many of the best cockers all 

 over the kingdom : 



The origin of the game cock is enveloped in considerable obscurity, 

 for whilst many naturalists affirm that it is the reclaimed wild jungle 

 fowl, as still found in India, many others who have given the subject 

 much careful consideration and research are of an opinion that our 

 game fowls were originally from Persia, where they deem it probable 

 that a race of white-legged birds were very early reclaimed, but whose 

 originals, like many wild animals, have long since become extinct, 

 and their sporting history dawns in this country of Persia and the 

 early records of China, although most books, etc., point us to Themis- 

 tacles as the first cocker known to fame, who, some authorities state, 

 received an omen of the success of the army he was leading from the 

 crowing of the cocks, but Aolieu, the author cited, says he saw the 

 cocks fighting! Yet Idomeusus long before that time bore on his 

 shield the effigies of a cock as a martial bird. History informs us 

 that they were bred for fighting in the reign of Croesus, king of Lydia. 

 (A, M. 3426). The ancient Dordanii had representations of cock- 

 fighting on their coins. The fighting cock was one of the principal 

 gods of the Lyrians, and the learned Hebrew, Dr. Rahbi David, in- 

 terpreting the 17th chapter of 2nd Kings, verses 30 and 31, says 

 "Nergel" was a cock for war or fighting, or champion cock, and by 

 the Samaritans worshipped for a god. 



A volume might be written on this subject of interest to the anti- 

 quarian, but enough has been said to satisfy the sportsman that this 

 sport will bear favorable comparison with any other in point of an- 

 tiquity. Its introduction into England has been attributed to the 

 Romans wUo, history informs us, were called on to witness cocking in 

 thfeir own country in order to incite them to deeds of bravery and 

 courage, previous to their departure to conquer our tight little isle. 



