THE COCK THE COURIER PHEASANT. 147 



Yes, hath He, of high intellect, oft, in his pride, 

 With the blood of the Rook his hands wantonly dyed. 



cock chicken begin to fight long before they are half grown. 

 The full grown cock will often attack animals much larger than 

 himself; the cock turkey is, in general, no match for him. I 

 once had a cock so extremely violent and fierce, that young 

 persons could not venture near him ; he has even frequently 

 attacked grown people. 



The cock has been a subject of considerable interest with the 

 poets; and, in consequence, he has been very commonly called 

 by them " Chanticleer." 



" Within this homestead liv'd without a peer 

 For crowing loud, the noble Chanticleer. " — Dryden. 



Milton has also finely described this bird. 



"While the cock with lively din 

 Scatters the rear of darkness thin; 

 And to the stack, or the barn door, 

 Stoutly stmts his dames before." — L'Allegro. 



Of the game of cock-fighting, I can only say, that it is a bar- 

 barous sport, and ill becomes an intelligent being; the same 

 may be said of cocksquailing, a sport, I am afraid, not yet wholly 

 unknown in the west. See my Observations on the Dialects of the 

 West of England, &c. 



The Mexicanus, or Courier Pheasant, is tawny-white; 

 tail long, shining green; inhabits New Spain; eighteen inches 

 long •, slow in flight, but runs fast. The Cristalus, or Crested 

 Pheasant, is brown above, beneath reddish- white, head 

 crested ; twenty-two inches long; feeds on serpents, worms, and 

 insects; inhabits New Spain. The Superbus, or Golden Chi- 

 nese Pheasant, is rufous, varied with green and blue ; with- 

 out spurs; inhabits China. The Argus, or Argus Pheasant, 

 is pale yellow, spotted with black ; face red; size of a turkey; 

 inhabits Chinese Tartary. 



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