102 
BIRD-LIFE. 
delight, I found my poor bird still alive. Allowing him 
two days to recover, I again turned him down in the 
yard, feeling convinced that this time he would follow the 
old adage, ‘Discretion, &c.,’ and keep out of the way of 
the Turkey. You think so ? No ; without a moment’s 
hesitation the Cockerel rushes recklessly at his old 
enemy, fighting with the energy of despair; and, finally, 
with some assistance, and by my drawing its attention 
once or twice to myself, he succeeded in putting the 
Turkey to flight. This ended the struggle; and his 
adversary never afterwards questioned his right to the 
title of ‘ Cock of the walk.’ ” 
Our old friend the Game Cock is by no means the only 
bully among birds; almost all are excessively jealous, 
and will fight among themselves with the greatest 
contempt for death. In the breeding-season the most 
harmless birds show an extraordinary amount of courage; 
tiny songsters fly alike at man and beast; birds of prey 
do the same, and indeed some of the larger species are at 
times very dangerous. Some birds are remarkable for 
their hold fearlessness. Near the place where I was 
horn, a male Capercaillie, which is known to be one of 
the shyest of birds, used repeatedly to attack passers-by 
on their way to market, and no amount of chastisement 
seemed to cool his courage. He was several times 
caught and brought to the forester, till at last he fell 
into the hands of some unscrupulous person and vanished. 
Capercaillies have even been known to attack horses. 
A Marabou Stork which I had in my yard at Chartum 
put my tame lion (!) to flight with repeated strokes of its 
hill, having been frightened by a feigned attack on the 
part of the latter; the Crane of Yon Seyffertitz, of which 
I have more to say further on, used to guide and 
