200 BIRDS IN TOWN AND VILLAGE 



beautiful, artificial as their standards sometimes 

 appear ; and there are breeds in which beauty seems 

 to have been the principal object, as, for instance, 

 in several of the gold and silver spangled and pen- 

 cilled varieties. But, besides beauty of plumage, 

 there are other things in the fowl worthy of being 

 improved by selection. One of these has been 

 cultivated by man for thousands of years, namely, 

 the combative spirit and splendid courage of the 

 male bird. But there is a spirit abroad now which 

 condemns cock-fighting, and to continue selecting 

 and breeding cocks solely for their game-points 

 seems a mere futility. The energy and enthusiasm 

 expended in this direction would be much better 

 employed in improving the bird's vocal powers. 



The morning song of the cock is a sound unique 

 in nature, and of all natural sounds it is the most 

 universal. " All climates agree with brave Chanti- 

 cleer. He is more indigenous even than the natives. 

 His health is ever good ; his lungs are sound j his 

 spirits never flag." He is a pet bird among tribes 

 that have never seen the peacock, goose, and turkey. 

 In tropical countries where the dog becomes dumb, 

 or degenerates into a mere growler, his trumpet never 

 rusts. It is true that he was cradled in the torrid 

 gone, yet in all Western lands, where he " shakes off 

 the powdery snow," with vigorous wings, his voice 

 sounds as loud and inspiriting as in the hot jungle. 



