Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



nary splendor of its crest, neck and long wing 

 coverts, and the haughtiness of its demeanor. 

 Those who have not seen the cock bird mak- 

 ing love to the demure hen have missed one 

 of the most curious sights. After strutting 

 for some time with his fan of gorgeous plumes 

 upright, he will approach his partner, and, 

 with a trembling in every plume well cal- 

 culated to bring each glister and glint of 

 color into play, and at the same time to pro- 

 duce a gentle humming sound, he will gradu- 

 ally curve the long feathers forward over 

 himself and her, until the two stand in a 

 green-gold bower of beauty. 



Whether it was merely the superbness of 

 the feathers of the peacock, or also the fact 

 that the bird gives its calls before rain, and 

 in its native wilds issues a hoarse warning of 

 the presence of its foe, the tiger — at any rate 

 in its wild and half-tamed state in Ceylon 

 and South India it has always been a magic 

 bird, protected from extinction by the super- 



122 



