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NATURAL HISTORY. 
That the cock was originally imported from 
Perlia, is generally acknowledged. It has 
been, however, fo long in England, that, 
amongft*tW ancient Britons, it was one of 
the forbidden foods. 
From the very great length of time this 
bird has been refident there, we lliould 
be apt to doubt vvdicther it was natural to 
any other country, was it not fometimes to 
be found in the iflands of the Indian ocean, 
where it ftill retains its wild and natural 
liberty. 
Ariftophanes calls it the Perfian bird, iiia 
order to fliow the country where it is pre 
duced. 
The cock is a very gallant bird, and will 
light with his ow'u fpecies, efpecially for the 
poflTeflion of his hens, with amazing courage 
and perfeverance. 
To the bravery of this bird, even princes 
themfelves, in different parts of the world, 
have, to their diame be it fpoken, owed a 
principal part of tli^ir amufement. Hea- 
thens might have fallen into this error; but 
that a race of people, calling tliemfelves 
Chriflians, who are liilcd the patrons of com- 
paflion and humanity, Ihould take delight in 
letting thefe inoft’enlive birds to defiroy each 
other, can only be attributed to a barbarous 
propenlity in human nature, which we can- 
not but lament. 
Exclulive of this, there are two other 
fpecies of cocks, called the Hamburgh and 
Bantam 
A 
