THE DOMESTIC FOWL. 11 



would alone ensure the destruction of her progeny in 

 an unprotected state, in spite of all her fruitfulness 

 and her great maternal virtues. Her delight at having 

 laid an egg, expressed by loud cackling, which is joined 

 in by all her companions that are at hand, would, by 

 itself, be sufficient to- prevent much increase of her 

 young. How the squaws and their picaninnies would 

 chuckle to have wild birds abounding around them, 

 that not only produced an excellent egg every day, but 

 told them where to find it ! 



The habit which so large a bird as the fowl has 

 of retiring to roost by daylight, too, and compos- 

 ing itself to repose before it is hidden and protec- 

 ted by the shades of night, would also be a cer- 

 tain source of danger in a wild state. The craving 

 hunter who wanted a meal, need not fatigue himself 

 by a search during the noontide heats. He would 

 have but to bear the pangs of appetite till evening 

 approached, and then stealing with no great caution 

 under the outstretched branches, he would find a ready 

 prey distinctly apparent between himself and the ruddy 

 glare of sunset. No wild race could survive a few 

 years of such facile, such tempting capture. Those 

 who would reply by saying that when cocks and hens 

 were wild they had not fallen into the imprudent 

 fashion of roosting before dark, and cackling when 

 they dropped an egg, beg the question which we are 

 not disposed to grant them, unless they can positively 

 establish their claim. 



The common cock, (Gallus gallinaceus,) would at 

 first sight appear to have received one or two remark- 

 able changes of form subsequent to its having been 

 saved from annihilation by becoming dependent on the 

 care of man, if we can believe domestication to^be 

 capable of producing such changes. The crest of 

 feathers on the head is an extraordinary metamorphosis 

 to have occurred from an original fleshy comb. There 

 is no instance, that I am aware, of any wild-crested 

 breed. Aristotle makes such a pointed and so clear a 



