COCKER S MANUAL. 



weights of the royal pit, Westminster ; all above that weight went for 

 byes, and none less were allowed. The lightest birds commenced 

 fighting and proceeded up. When the birds were brought into the 

 pit they were carefully examined to see that they answered the de- 

 scription on the match bill, and if correct the birds were handed the 

 setters to fight, except in the first battle of the main, when it is usual 

 for the masters of the match, i. e., the backers or principal owners of 

 the cocks, to toss the first pair upon the mat or rod. In this case no 

 cocks are weighed after the weighing day, it being left to the feeders 

 to weigh the birds as light as they can, and to raise them as high on 

 the fighting day three days after. Eight days is the usual time for 

 feeding, but the heavy or last cocks fighting in the long main of six 

 days are in fourteen days, and there have been mains fought for a 

 longer time, for a fortnight, in the north, many years since, and 

 which after all ended in a drawn main, and some twenty years since 

 a week's fighting took place at Easter, in the Gallogate pit, where six 

 feeders sat upwards of two hundred and seventy cocks on the mat 

 ranging in weight from three pounds four ounces to five pounds two 

 ounces, and a notice was at the time hung up in the pit that the cocks 

 for the 6th of May main were to come in on the 26th of April and 

 weigh on the 3d of May, and of another main to weigh off scales on 

 the 13th. So it will be seen there was not much lack of sport at that 

 time. Printed lists of the numbers, colors, weights, feeders' names, 

 and winners were at that time published, to be sent to those parties 

 who had cocks there but could not themselves attend on account of 

 business or distance. Many of those lists are now before me as I write, 

 especially one of the mains I have just referred to, Prailey commenc- 

 ing with a winning three pound four ounce furness cock named 

 Mungo, and losing the last battle of the main with a iive pound two 

 ounce cock named Waterloo. 



Short mains are when parties each find twenty-one cocks, more or 

 less, between a stipulated weight. Each supplies a list of the weights 

 of their cocks to a referee, who compares them and matches all that 

 fall within one ounce under four pounds eight ounces and within two 

 ounces of those above four pounds eight ounces but under five pounds 

 four or eight ounces to fight for the stakes previously agreed upon. 

 The cocks are weighed in the pit, one ounce being allowed for spurs, 



