Mr. Arafat isn't the only thing expiring in France. Like the autochthonic French themselves, who can barely sustain a birth rate sufficient to stock the L'Ecole nationale d'administration ("ENA") (1.85 vs. 2.1), that symbol of French barnyard élan, le coq gaulois, turns out to be more strut than rut. More prance than lance. The national bird is a slacker at delivering the reproductive goods.

An inspiration to Monarchists, Republicans, Communists, and all manner of street mobs, the colorful cockerel noisily announcing himself to the world as he scratches about in his shit, is about to go the way of the 441-line Sonora TV:

Scientists have taken action to save France's feathered national emblem, le coq gaulois, by cryogenically preserving the endangered cockerel's sperm.

Scientists at the national agronomic research institute, Inra, have spent two years on a bird hunt for the last surviving individuals from the dying breed.

"We took their eggs, vaccinated them, then brought up the chicks," said Elisabeth Blesbois, a scientist at Inra.

"Then we removed their sperm and froze it at minus 196 degrees," she added.

"We can now reconstitute the bird line if it encounters problems, such as an epidemic. By successive cross-breeding with regular hens, we can bring the race back from the brink in just a few years."

Beside its symbolic qualities, the French cockerel is sought after for its brilliant red and gold plumage. But connoisseurs say its taste is disappointing.