U2 
THE POULTRY BOOK. 
I need not tell you I did not Avait for a second invitation, as yon know I ana 
one of those fellows who like to add to my small stock of knowledge by seeing 
everything : so I jumped up, and in a minute or two found myself in a hack room 
over Holcomb’s shop, in the High-street. 
On going in, I found about twenty fellows there, all of the right sort ; I was 
not a little surprised to see the Mayor amongst them. He nodded to me, a-li 
said, ‘ This • is Nova Scotia, I believe, Mr. Tegg ; ’ and seeing that I did not 
instantly catch his meaning, he added, ‘ Such things, you know, are not allowed 
in England.’ 
afterwards heard that, though the head magistrate of the place, he was 
known to be very partial to cock-fighting ; and that he was once present at a main 
v/hen the police burst in, and being too fat and pudgy to slope off with the 
rest, he got into the large chimney, standing with one foot on each hob of the 
grate. The police saw and knew the boots, but of course they did not look up the 
chimney, as they could have no suspicion that his worshi|)’s legs were in them. 
“In the middle of Holcomb’s room was unrolled a piece of matting; and all 
the visitors stood round in a large ring, which was cleared for the setters and 
the birds. 
“ On some pegs were hung ten or a dozen white canvas bags, with the bottoms 
filled with straw, each holding a cock ready trimmed and heeled. 
“ It was a strange sight to me to see the ^ setter,’ Old Sam, take out one of his 
trimmed birds : it was a splendid red cock with a black breast ; the feathers 
around his throat were cut close, so that as he reached his serpent-like neck out of 
the bag it looked as fierce as that of a rattle-snake : his hard and horny beak was 
thick and massive at the roots ; and his eye large, fiery, and expressive of savage 
courage. His wing-feathers were trimmed to less than half their length, and his 
tail docked, so as to be of a triangular shape, like that of a nick- tailed horse. The 
spurs natural to his firm, bony shanks had been cut short, and their places supplied 
by steel heels nearly two inches in length ; each of these had a ring to go over the 
bottom of the natural spur, and was fastened to a piece of leather which was 
neatly but firmly secured to the leg by a waxed thread, so artistically tied as not 
to impede the free motion of the limb. 
“ The other ^ setter,’ young G-illingham, pulled out a red and white bird, which 
they called a ^ pile ; ’ this had been treated in the same manner, and was equally 
closely trimmed and heeled. As soon as the birds saw each other both uttered a 
chuckle of defiance, when, holding them near, the ^ setters ’ permitted them to 
strike at each other with their beaks. The object of the trimming was evident, it 
being to prevent the opposing bird getting a ready hold of his opponent by the 
feathers. 
“ After stimulating their courage by these means, the “ setters” stooped down 
and placed the birds on the floor opposite each other. They rushed forward, and 
for a few moments stood with their beaks close touching, raising their heads 
together, each one trying to get the advantage of the first cut. In an instant they 
