c o c 
V^rfities, are to be found in this animal ; all of which 
appear to be fo many marks of this early prifoner's 
long and uninterrupted captivity. 
At what period the Cock was firft domefticated 
in Europe, is a queftion not properly afcertained ; 
but it is generally fuppofed that he v/as introduced 
into the weftern part of the world from Perfia. 
Ariftophanes calls the Cock the Perfian birdj and 
infomns us that this fowl enjoyed that kingdom be- 
fore fome of it's earlieft monarchs. The Cock 
was fo early known in the moft favage parts of 
Europe, that, under the Druidical difpenfation, he 
was prohibited to be eaten among the ancient Bri- 
tons. Indeed, the domeftic fowl feems to have 
banifhed the idea of the wild one. Perfia itfelf, 
from which we firft received it, feems no longer to 
know it in it's natural form; and, if it were not 
fometimes found wild in the woods of India, as 
well as in thofe of the iflands in the Indian ocean, 
it might perhaps be doubted in what form it firft 
exifted in a ftate of nature. But thofe doubts can 
no longer prevail, when we confider that the Cock 
is a6tually feen, in his ancient ftate of independence, 
in many iflands of the Indian ocean, as well as in the 
forefts on the coaft of Malabar. In his wild ftate his 
comb and wattles are yellow and purple, -and his 
plumage is black and yellow. There is another re- 
markable peculiarity in thofe of the Indian woods; 
namely, that their bones, when boiled, in Europe, 
are white; but, in India^ as black as ebony: but 
whether this tinfture proceeds from their food, (as 
the bones of animals, from their feeding on mad- 
der, are generally tinged with red) or from Ibme 
other caufe, it h not eafy to determine. 
When the Cock was firft propagated in Eu- 
rope, it is certain that there were diftin£lions v/hich 
now no longer exift. The ancients efteemed thofe 
fowls whole plumage was reddifli as invaluable, 
aftd confidered the white ones as utterly unfit for 
doiTieftic purpofesj thefe they regarded as liable 
to become the prey of rapacious birds; and Arif- 
totle thinks them lefs prolific than the former : in- 
deed, this naturalift's divifion of thofe birds feems 
to be taken from their culinary ufes ; the one fort 
he calls generous and noble, being remarkable for 
fecundity ; and the other fort ignoble and ufelefs, on 
account of their fterility. Thefe diftinftions, how- 
ever, are very different from our modern notions of 
the generofity of this animal ; that which we call 
the Game-Cock being much lefs fruitful than tlie 
Dunghill-Cock, whom we regard with contempt 
on account of his comparative pufillanimity. It 
appears that the Athenians, as well as Europeans, 
had their Cock-matches ; but it is probable that 
they did not make ufe of die fame kinds on fuch 
occafions. 
No animal pofTefTes more courage than the Cock 
when oppofed to any of his own fpecies; andwhere- 
ever refinement and poliflied manners have not 
been urxiveyfally introduced. Cock-fighting feems 
to have conftituted a principal diverfion. In In- 
dia, China, the Philippine Ifles, and over all the 
oriental regions, it conftitutes the paftime and 
amufement even of kings and priaces. Fortu- 
nately for national reputation, this barbarous diver- 
fion is in England rapidly verging to decay ; and, 
in a fhort time, it will probably become the fport 
of none but the loweft claiTes. It is a prevailing- 
opinion, that the breed of this country is more bold 
and valiant than any to be found elfewhere; but 
die truth is,- that the Cocks of China are equal if 
not fuperior in valour to the Englilh ones, as weil 
COG 
as ftx-origef and larger. It is fomewhat furprlzing 
that thofe men who venture hundreds, and fome~ 
times thoufands, on the prowefs of a fingle fowl, 
have not taken every method of improving the 
breed; and particularly that of CrofTmg the ffrain, 
as it is called, by a foreign mixture. But as Cock- 
fighting is a mean, favage, and ignoble amufe- 
fnent, we would not v/ifti to promote it by any in- 
ftruftions ; fince he who teaches the art of cruelty, 
can hardly be confidered in any other light than as 
acceffary to the fa6t. 
The Cock's extraordinary courage is fuppofed 
to proceed from his being the moft falacious of all 
other birds, as well as the only animal whofe fpirits 
are neither exhaufted nor abated by fenfual grati- 
fication. However, he foon becomes old, his ra- 
dical moifture is confumed, and in three or foi?r 
years he becomes abfolutely unfit for the purpofes 
of impregnation. ' Hens alfo,' to ufe the words of 
Willughby, ' as they, for the greateft part of the 
year, daily lay eggs, cannot fuffice for fo many 
births ; but for the moft part, after three years, be- 
come effete and barren ; for, when they have ex- 
haufted all their feed-eggs, of which they had but 
a certain quantity from the beginning, they muft 
necefTarily ceafe to lay, there being no new ones 
generated within.' 
Hens feldom clutch a brood of chickens above 
once in a feafon, though inftances have been known 
when they have produced two, A domeftic hen 
will lay upwards of two hundred eggs in a year, 
when properly fuppiied with food and water; and 
ftie will continue to lay whether impregnated by 
the male or not: bvit eggs of this kind, though 
equally proper for food and all other domeftic pur- 
pofes, can never be brought to produce a living 
animal. 
From a contempltrtion of the egg of the common 
hen, in which the yolk and the v/hite are readily 
diftinguifhed, it will be eafy to judge of the eggs 
of all other birds : but there is one kind of white 
which furrounds the yolk, and another exterior 
one ; there are alfo ligaments which fupport the 
yolk, near the centre of the egg; and two mem- 
branes, the one furrounding the yolk, and the other 
the white ; and there is, moreover, a third and fourth, 
which encompafs thefe interior ones; and a fhell 
defending the whole ; which laft ferves to preferve 
the chicken from any accident till it is formed, 
and ready to leave it's prifon. The changes pro- 
duced in this germ from time to time cannot pof- 
fibly be difcovered on account of the furrounding 
fluids. The white, h(;Wever, is fuppofed to an- 
fwer the purpofe of milk, in feeding the young; 
and the yolk to be that part from which the growth 
proceeds. 
The hen, if left to herfelf, forms but a very in- 
diiferent neft"; aholefcratched in the ground among 
a few bufhes is the only preparation fhe ufually 
makes for this feafon of her patient expeftation. 
Nature, almoft exhaufted by it's own fecundity, 
feems. to inform her of the proper feafon for hatch- 
ing, which fhe herielf teftifies by a clucking note, 
and by difcontinuing to lay. Frugal houfewives, 
who find the eggs more profitable than the chick- 
ens, often pra<5life arts in order to protra<51: this 
clucking feafon, and fometimes entirely remove it. 
When the hen begins to cluck, they ftint her in 
the qiiantity of her food ; and, if that device does 
not produce the defired efFedt, they plunge her into 
cold water. This effeflually retards her hatching, 
but ic often produces a cold ; and, when that is the 
eafe. 
