in Zoology, the English name of the males of gallinaceous birds, but more especially used for the common dunghill cock. See PHASIANUS, ORNITHOLOGY Index.

Black-Cock. See TETRAO, ORNITHOLOGY Index.

Cock of the Wood. See SCARABEAUS, ENTOMOLOGY Index.

Cock-Chaffer. See SCARABEAUS, ENTOMOLOGY Index.

Cock-Paddle, Lump-fish or Sea-owl. See CYCLOPTERUS, Ichthyology Index.

Cock-Pit, a sort of theatre upon which game-cocks fight.

It must appear astonishing to every reflecting mind, that a mode of diversion so cruel and inhuman as that of cock-fighting should so generally prevail; that not only the ancients, barbarians, Greeks, and Romans, should have adopted it; but that a practice so savage and heathenish should be continued by Christians of all sorts, and even pursued in these better and more enlightened times.

The ancient Greeks and Romans, as is well known, were wont to call all the nations in the world barbarians; yet certainly, if we consider the many instances of cruelty practised among them, there was very little reason for the distinction. Human sacrifices were common both to them and the barbarians; and with them the exposing of infants, the combats of men with wild beasts, and of men with men in the gladiatorial scenes, were spectacles of delight and festivity.

The islanders of Delos, it seems, were great lovers of cock-fighting; and Tanagra a city in Boeotia, the isle of Rhodes, Chalcis in Euboea, and the country of Media, were famous for their generous and magnanimous race of chickens. The kingdom of Perita was probably included in the last, from whence this kind of poultry was first brought into Greece; and if one may judge of the rest from the fowls of Rhodes and Media, the excellency of the broods at that time consisted in their weight and largeness (as the fowls of those countries were heavy and bulky), and of the nature of what our sportsmen call shakebags or turnpokes. The Greeks, moreover, had some method of preparing the birds for battle, by feeding; as may be collected from Columella.

It should seem, that at first cock-fighting was partly a religious and partly a political institution at Athens; and was there continued for the purpose of improving the seeds of valour in the minds of their youths; but was afterwards abused and perverted both here and in the other parts of Greece to a common pastime, without any moral, political, or religious intention, and as it is now followed and practised among us.

At Rome, as the Romans were prone to imitate the Greeks, we may expect to find them following their example in this mode of diversion, and in the worst way, viz. without any good or laudable motives, since when they took and brought it to Rome, the Greeks had forgotten every thing that was commendable in it, and had already perverted it to a low and unmeaning sport. Signor Hyam thinks the Romans borrowed the pastime from Dardanus, in Asia; but there is little reason for making them go so far from it, when it was so generally followed in Greece, whose customs the Romans were addicted to borrow and imitate. However, it is probable, they did not adopt this opinion very early. It may be gathered from Columella, that the Romans did not use the sport in his time. This author styles cock-fighting a Grecian diversion; and speaks of it in terms of ignominy as an expensive amusement, unbecoming the frugal householder, and often attended with the ruin of the parties that followed it. "The words are remarkable. 'Nos enim censimus instituere vestigial industriae patris familiæ, non rixosarum avium lanifex, cujus plurimum totum patrimonium pignus aleæ, victor gallinaceus pyrites abfultit:' When he describes, as we think, the manner not of the Romans, but of the Greeks, who had in his time converted the diversion of cock-fighting into a species of gaming, and even to the total ruin of their families, as happens but too often in England at this day. The Romans, however, at last gave into the custom, though not till the decline of the empire. The first cause of contention between the two brothers Bassianus and Geta, sons of the emperor Septimus Severus, happened, according to Herodian, in their youth, about the fighting of their cocks; and if the battling between those two princes was the first instance of it, probably they had seen and learned it in Greece, whether they had often accompanied the emperor their father.

It is observable, that cocks and quails pitted for the purpose of engaging one another, à outrance, or to the last gasp, for diversion, are frequently compared, and with much propriety, to gladiators. Hence Pliny's expression, Gallorum—ceu gladiatorum; and that of Columella, rixarum avium laniferae; lanifera being the proper term for the master of the gladiators. Consequently one would expect, that when the bloody scenes of the amphitheatre were discarded, as they were soon after the Christian religion became the establishment of the empire, the wanton shedding of men's blood in sport, being of too cruel and savage a nature to be patronized and encouraged in an institution so harmless and innocent as the Christian was, one might justly expect that the olympiada and the amplexus would have ceased of course. The fathers of the church are continually inveighing against the spectacles of the arena, and upbraiding their adversaries with them. These indeed were more unnatural and shocking than a main of cocks; but this, however, had a tendency towards infusing the like ferocity and implacability in the breasts and dispositions of men.

Besides, this mode of diversion has been in fact the bane and destruction of thousands here, as well as of those lanifera avium, "cock-feeders," mentioned by Columella, whose patrimonial fortunes were totally dissipated and destroyed by it.

The cock is not only a useful animal, but stately in his figure, and magnificent in his plumage. "Imperior fui generi," says Pliny, et regnum in quacunque fuit domo, exercet." Aristophanes compares him to the king of Persia; most authors also take notice of the "specatissimum igneum, ferratum, quad eorum verticem regiae coronae modo exornat." His tenderness towards his brood is such, that, contrary to the custom of many other males, he will scratch and provide for them with an affluence almost equal to that of the hen; and his generosity is so great, that, on finding a heap of meat, he will chuckle the hens together, and without touching one bit himself will relinquish the whole of it to them. He was called the bird, κατά τοξον, by many of the ancients; he was highly esteemed in some countries, and in others was even held sacred, inasmuch that one cannot but regret that a creature so useful and noble, should, by a strange fatality, be so enormously abused by us. It is true, our olympiada, or the massacre of Shrove Tuesday, is now in a declining way; and, in a few years, it is to be hoped, will be totally dissipated; but the cock-pit still continues a reproach to the humanity of Englishmen, and to their religion; the purest, the tenderest, and most compassionate, of all others, not excepting even the Brahmanic.

It is unknown when the pitched battle first entered England, but it was probably brought hither by the Romans. This bird was here before Cæsar's arrival, but no notice of his fighting occurs earlier than the time of William Fitz-Stephen, who wrote the life of Archbishop Becket, some time in the reign of Henry II. and describes the cocking as a sport of school-boys on Shrove Tuesday. From this time at least the diversion, however absurd and even impious, was continued amongst us. It was followed, though disapproved and prohibited, 39 Edward III.; also in the reign of Henry VIII., and A.D. 1569. It has by some been called a royal diversion; and, as every one knows, the cock-pit at Whitehall was erected by a crowned head, Cockburne, for the more magnificent celebration of it. There was another pit in Drury-lane, and another in Javine-street. It was prohibited, however, by one of Oliver's acts, March 31, 1664. What aggravates the reproach and disgrace upon Englishmen, are those species of fighting which are called the battle-royal and the Welsh-main, known nowhere in the world but there; neither in China, nor in Persia, nor in Malacca, nor among the savage tribes in America. These are scenes so bloody as almost to be too shocking to relate; and yet, as many may not be acquainted with the horrible nature of them, it may be proper for the excitement of our aversion and detestation to describe them in a few words. In the former, an unlimited number of fowls are pitted, and when they have slaughtered one another for the diversion (Dii boni!) of the otherwise generous and humane Englishman, the fugitive surviving bird is to be esteemed the victor, and carries away the prize. The Welsh-main consists we suppose of 16 pairs of cocks; of these, the 16 conquerors are pitted a second time; the 8 conquerors of these are pitted a third time; the 4 conquerors the fourth time; and lastly, the two conquerors of these are pitted the fifth time; so that (incredible barbarity) 31 cocks are sure to be most inhumanly murdered for the sport and pleasure, the noise and nonsense, the profane cursing and swearing, of those who have the effrontery to call themselves, with all these bloody doings, and with all this impiety about them, Christians; nay, what with many is a superior and distinct character, men of benevolence and morality. But let the morality and benevolence of such be appreciated from the following instance recorded as authentic in the obituary of the Gentleman's Magazine for April 1789. "Died April 4, at Tottenham, John Ardefoil, Esq. a young man of large fortune, and in the splendour of his carriages and horses rivalled by few country gentlemen. His table was that of hospitality, where it may be said he sacrificed too much to conviviality; but if he had his foibles, he had his merits also that far outweighed them. Mr Ardefoil was very fond of cock-fighting, and had a favourite cock upon which he had won many profitable matches. The last bet he laid upon this cock he lost; which so enraged him, that he had the bird tied to a spit and roasted alive before a large fire. The screams of the miserable animal were so affecting, that some gentlemen who were present attempted to interfere, which so enraged Mr Ardefoil, that he seized a poker, and with the most furious vehemence declared, that he would kill the first man who interfered; but, in the midst of his passionate affections, he fell down dead upon the spot. Such, we are assured, were the circumstances which attended the death of this great pillar of humanity."

COCK-PIT, of a ship of war, the apartment of the surgeon and his mates, being the place where the wounded men are dressed in time of battle, or otherwise. It is situated under the lower deck.