302 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE.

en record of his displaying maternal instincts. Captain Brown
tells of a cock Turkey near Abingdon who manifested a
desire to sit and was allowed to experiment with thirteen eggs,
from which in three weeks he hatched twelve fine chickens.
A precisely similar incident occurred many years ago in
Sweden, according to the same authority.

Domestic The Domestic Fowls are too well known to need

Hows: description here. They are said to have descended
from the Java species and have long been the subjects of
systematic and careful culture. John Guillim who wrote in 1677
and whose quaint description of the peacock we have already
quoted, says: “As some account the eagle the queen, and
the swallow or wagtail the lady, so may I term this (the cock)
the knight amongst birds, being both of noble courage, and also
prepared evermore to the battel, having his comb for an helmet,
his sharp and hooked bill fora faulchion or court-lax, to slash
and wound his enemy: and as a compleat soldier armed cap-
a-pe, he hath his legs armed with spurs, giving example to
the valiant soldier to expell danger by fight, and not by flight.
The cock croweth when he is victor and giveth a testimony
of his conquest. If he be vanquished, he shunneth the light,
and society of men.” The cock is a courageous bird and ir
fighting with his own kind or in the defence of his family will
show great gallantry and endurance. Buffon thus describes
an encounter of which he was an observer. He says: “I have
just witnessed a curious scene. A sparrow hawk alighted
in a populous court-yard; when a young cock, of this year’s
hatching, instantly darted at him, and threw him on his back.
In this situation, the hawk defending himself with his talons
and his bill, intimidated the hens and turkeys, which streamed
tumultuously around him. After having a little recovered
himself, he rose and was taking wing; when the cock rushed
upon him a second time, upset him, and held him down so
long, that he was easily caught by a person who witnessed
the conflict.” The cock is said to show many of the quali-