110 THE COMPLETE POULT-BY BOOK. 



a retreat suddenly forced upon them; or, If persisting in their attacks havft at 

 length been laid prostrate and powerless in the field, despite of the superior 

 strength that was relied on for ensuring a very different issue. I will simply re- 

 fer to a couple of such incidents, where prowess alone carried the day, and also 

 where the odds were vastly in favor of the assailant. 



" In a very rural part of Derbyshire, some ten or eleven years back, a Black- 

 breasted Eed Game cock (only a small bird, in weight about four pounds two or 

 three ounces) was walked with three or four good hens, one of which had some 

 chickens running with her, about a fortnight old. These latter were enjoying 

 themselves in rather an exposed situation to the windward of some heather. A 

 hawk, that was on the wing outlooking for the first prey that might offer, espied 

 them, and, without the slightest warning, dashed violently at one of the chicks 

 that had strayed farthest from its protector. The hen, however. Instantly espied 

 the coming danger, and flew, regardless altogether of self preservation, to the 

 rescue. This first effort of the dauntless mother certainly saved the chickeu, 

 and drew the attention of the hawk more especially to herself. At this instant 

 the cock, that was some twenty yards off, attracted by the outcries^of his mate, 

 went valiantly to the encounter, and on first meeting his unusual foe, was un- 

 fortunately clutched by the wing with one or both feet of the hawk, nor could 

 the quickly-repeated efforts of the cook disengage itself. Althougli laboring 

 under so material a disadvantage, he stUl fought on, and, as the result proved, 

 successfully. It was in truth an up-and-down fight, sometimes the cock, atothers 

 the hawk, appearing to have the advantage ; feathers flew around the combot- 

 ants, and our eyewitness ran rapidly to the spot, in the hope to prevent the 

 escape of the intruder. No services whatever on his part were required, as be- 

 fore he reached them, victory had favored or gallant hero. The hawk had 

 received a blow from the spur of the cock, which, it should be borne in mind, 

 was simply the natural one; it had entirely destroyed the right eye, and burst- 

 ing through the skull at the back of it, penetrated the brain, so that death en- 

 sued instantaneously as by a gunsliot. It was only with difSculty the spur could 

 be disengaged, and the tenacious grasp of the hawk was maintained even in death. 

 The cock proved but triflingly injured by the melee. 



"The second instance was not, as above*, a casual occurrence, but was pre- 

 meditated by a couple of friends of mine, not only "as a test of the dauntless 

 valor of a Game hen, but to teach a useful and admonitory lesson to an intruder, 

 whose fondness for chickens had added a somewhat extravagant item to the 

 losses of a notorious poultry amateur, and that, too, among chickens of high 

 merit and considerable-pecuniaiy value. 



" It seems that a large eat had for many weeks been making daily incursions, 

 apd had succeeded not only in taking a chicken at every visit, but had likewise 

 very seriously maltreated the old hens on three different occasions. They were 

 Cochins, and had become so alarmed by the frequent repetitions of these in- 

 roads as to scarcely make any attempt at protecting their chickens; and con- 

 sequently the cat had increased in audacity daily. It was under these depress- 

 ing circumstance that a brother amateur volunteered a 'certain cure,' if he 

 were aUowed unrestrained liberty as to all the means adopted-a proviso most 

 cheerfully permitted. Having cooped up the fowls, both chickens and parent 



