Feathered Folk 349 



head is almost like John the Baptist's on a 

 charger. A pure-bred game fowl should 

 have no white quills in his wings. A white 

 feather there indicates a discreditable out- 

 cross. Hence the phrase "to show the 

 white feather," whose obvious application all 

 the world knows. 



Cocks of any breed are gallant, and to a 

 degree industrious, although hardly to the 

 degree beseeming persons of so many wives. 

 However, family cares sit light upon their 

 crests. They have nothing to do but crow, 

 look handsome, and make a pretence of 

 scratching out worms or chasing down fat 

 grasshoppers for their wives. It is only a 

 pretence — indulged in mainly to awaken ago- 

 nized jealousy in the breasts of the other 

 cocks. Often after calling, calling, for ten 

 minutes, until half the hens are round about, 

 each hoping for the worm held high in the 

 caller's bill, that fine gentleman bolts the 

 worm himself, then looks about as though to 

 say : " See how magnificently just ! I have 

 allowed each of you inferior creatures to wit- 

 ness the refreshment of your lord ! " 



Turkey eggs, and duck eggs, which are 

 much bigger than hen eggs, and guinea eggs, 

 which are very much smaller, all hatch out 

 in twenty-eight days. Goose eggs, biggest 

 of all laid by domestic fowl — hatch in thirty 



