PIGEONS. 
93 
kicked several yards, like a foot-ball, he would still 
come on as fiercely as ever, for three or four times. 
During one of these assaults, he received an injury, 
which lamed him for a week; hut no sooner had he 
recovered than he became as pugnacious as ever. 
His reasoning, too, appeared to be on a par with his 
courage, for he soon discovered that women were 
protected by the lower part of their dress, and ac- 
cordingly, instead of flying at their legs and feet, he 
invariably flew at their heads, fixing himself on their 
shoulders. To such a degree did he carry on this 
warfare, that the female who had charge of feeding 
the fowls, and had been accustomed to poultry all her 
life, never ventured into the yard without some 
weapon of defence. His offensive operations were 
carried on with such persevering spirit, that for fear 
of his doing some serious injury, particularly to chil- 
dren, it was at last found necessary to destroy him. 
This boldness is not always confined to the do- 
mestic tenants of the farm-yard. The following 
instances prove that even the wild Pheasant of the 
woods, and the still more shy and solitary Bustard 
of the plains, can occasionally lay aside their fear of 
the human race, and fight as fierce a battle as this 
Game Cock. 
A young lady walking alone, a few miles from 
Stirling, observed a beautiful cock Pheasant, perched 
on a stone by the road side. Instead of showing 
timidity at her approach, he flew down upon her, 
and with spurs and beak began a furious assault. 
Being closely pursued, and seeing no way of escape 
from the enraged bird, she adopted the only alter- 
native that was left, namely, of seizing her adversary, 
