iS 



CHAPTER V. 



THE SPOET OF COCKING. 



TRUST I have written enough on the various breeds of 

 game to afford my readers who, are not already conver- 

 sant with them, some information as to their chief 

 characteristics. There are many additional and provincial local 

 names of the breeds here mentioned, but were I to add them it 

 would only cause confusion, without effecting aay useful purpose. 

 It will be noted that the colour of the breast is always given. The 

 reason was that in old times when cocks were trimmed for the pit 

 the hackle, tail and other parts were cut or trimmed, but the breast 

 was left intact. Hence the birds were described as black-breasted 

 blacks or smock-breasted smocks, as the case might be. 



A few further remarks on cock-fighting, as formerly carried on, 

 are necessary. After which we will consider the useful qualities 

 and general management, &c., of game foiols, which will doubtless 

 be of more interest to the general reader. Yet a monograph on 

 the breed would be incomplete without some description of the 

 sport. 



It has already been stated at what an early age cock-fighting 

 was practised in Britain ; it has been proved that the Romans fol- 

 lowed the sport here, as metal spurs for cocks have been found, 

 with other Roman remains, in Cornwall, and I believe that there 

 is a specimen in the British Museum, and it is thought that the 

 ancient Britons themselves practised the sport in some form pre- 

 vious to the Roman invasion. It has continued as one of our Eng- 

 lish sports up to the present time. Many cock-pits are still in 

 existence that were built especially for the sport, though they are 

 now turned to other purposes; one being a Dissenting Chapel, 

 another a confectioner's factory, a third a theatre, and so on. 

 "The Sod" has generally gone hand in hand with "The Turf." 

 Newmarket was a great centre of cocking, and of course, London, 



