oe NATURAL HISTORY, 
inftead of feathers. Thefe varieties fhow the length 
of time they muft have been under the dominion o 
man ; the departure from their original charaéteriftic 
_arifing from: the mixture of breeds, ‘brought from 
different countries, which havé been allowed to cor- 
rupt, without improving ‘the flock. That the cock 
was originally imported from Perfia, is generally ac- 
knowledged.: it has been, however, fo long in En- 
gland, that, amongft the ancient Britons, it was one of 
the foPbidden foods. *’ PRE WE ob VE 
From the very great length of time this bird has 
been refident there, we fhould be apt to doubt whether 
it was natural to any other country, was it'not fome- 
times to be found in the iflands of the Indian’ ocean, 
where it ftill retains its wild and hatural liberty.*- 
Ariftophanes calls it the Perfian bird; in order to 
fhow the country where it is produced.+ *)  -"' ‘¥ 
The cock is a very gallant bird, and will fight with 
his own fpecies, efpecially for the pofleffien of his 
hens, with amazing courage and perfeverance. > 
To the bravery of this bird, even princes them- 
felves, in different parts of the world, baa, to their 
fhame be ‘it fpoken, owed a principal part of their a- 
mufement. ‘Heathens might have fallen into this er- 
ror; but that a race of people, calling themfelves ~ 
chrifhans, who are ftiled the patrons of compaffion 
and humanity, fhould take delight in fetting thefe in- 
offenfive birds to'deftroy each other, can only be at- 
tributed toa barbarous propenfity in human nature, ' 
which we cannot but lament. : 
Exclufive of this, there are two other fpecies of 
cocks, called the Hamburgh and Bantam cocks; the 
latter of which is well known, by its diminutive fize 
and feathered legs. = * = | Sy ae 
