THE DEGENERATE CHANTICLEER. 169 



ing hours. Any convivial " Willie " \?liom it so pleases may now 

 brew his " peck o' maut," if the Inland Eevenue will let him, and 

 sit down to enjoy it with his boon companions into all the hours of 

 the night and morning, unwarned of the flight of time by anything 

 like a cock-crow. The moon may fill her silver horn, and shine 

 bright as aforetime, " to wile them hame," and the day may " daw," 

 but the cock's " crawing " will no longer convey its notes of warn- 

 ing and expostulation. If the bird crows at all, it is sometime 

 throughout the day, generally, we have noticed, in the afternoon, 

 ■when nobody thanks him for it, and then in notes so discordant as 

 to make your teeth water, as if you had suddenly bitten deep into 

 an unripe apple, with the chance of a headache for the rest of the 

 evening. The last time we heard a cock crow in the good old 

 fashion was in an out-of-the-way corner of Arisaig, some three 

 years ago. Being a stranger in the place, and having to sleep on 

 a "shake-down" on the floor of our room, our sleep was less sound 

 than usual, but throughout the night we were cheered by the 

 companionship of a cock that was roosting in an out-house not far 

 from our window. Shortly after midnight he announced the first 

 watch of the night as ended, and afterwards at intervals, of as 

 nearly as possible two hours, his clear, clarion notes, repeated two 

 or three times, startled the stdlness of the glen, until at last the 

 rising sun invited him to the labours of the day, and called us to 

 boot and saddle. Nor is the degeneracy and demoralisation of the 

 modern domestic cock less apparent in another direction. Sur- 

 rounded by his harem, he used to be considered the beau-ideal by 

 common consent of all that is gallant, and courteous, and brave. 

 With proud step and stately bearing he led his dames about, finding 

 for them the siinniest spots wherein to bask and dust themselves 

 when the day was at its height. He diligently searched for, and 

 rarely failed to find, the particular corner wherein food was most 

 abundant, scratching with might and main that the ladies of his 



