MiaCELLAMJOUS AOTIJS. oOl 



eotl of 1908 I kept some notes. I am seudiug these in case they may 

 prove interestiup;. 



As regards getting the train, my birds start acquiring theirs in October 

 and it is beautifully developed by February and they start dropping it in 

 May. 



I have noted the following as to the colouring of the soft parts in a male. 

 From nostrils to above, below and behind the eye purplish blue, near the 

 nostrils it is more of a pale prussian blue tinged with yellow ; below this 

 purplish blue the colour is chrome vellow. During the breeding season 

 the colours are greatly intensilied, the yellow assuming an orange yellow 

 colour, and that portion of the skin seems to expand during this period, and 

 has a slight fold behind at base below the ear orifice. Also the whole 

 plumage of the bird gets a brighter and more brilliant hue. 



Nobody, except Finn in his (lame Birds of India, seems to mention one 

 diti'erence between the cock and hen and that is that whereas in the cock 

 the patch of scaly feathers in front of the eye (lores) is metallic green, in 

 the hen it is reddish brown. I did not notice this myself till i made 

 water colour studies of both birds. This would be an easy means of 

 telling the sexes in the young. In my female, the feathers on the front and 

 sides of the neck are more coppery than in the males. 



Chick. — Sides of head and throat lemon yellow ; crown and a streak 

 from occiput to near ear blackish brown ; occiput and rest of neck and 

 breast brownish buft" ; back of neck browner ,- a dusky streak from nape 

 to below coverts; remainder of lower plumage pale lemon yellow; back 

 sepia brown ; down on wings rufous brown, feathers pale Indian red 

 tinged with yellow and marked with black except at tip ; on the primaries 

 the markings are lighter ; tail brown : sides of thighs pale rufous yellow. 

 Bill creamy yellow, purer yellow above the nostrils and reddish in front of 

 nail ; iris greyish brown ; legs and feet yellow reddish between the scutte in 

 front of tarsus ; claws pink and soles of feet yellower than rest. 



On the twenty-third day after birth the crest was noticeable but one 

 chick did not show any signs of it till nearly two months old. When a 

 month old, they started getting feathers on the body. When two and a 

 half months old they began getting the metallic feathers on the back and 

 sides of neck. 



I saw a fortnight old chick fly on to the roof of a small house in the 

 garden and when a month and a half old they began showing off. 



Mr. Baker does not note the scale-like appearance of the neck and breast 

 feathers of the adult which is quite unlike the plumage of the Common 

 Peacock (P. cristatus). 



Brecdin;/. — I got my birds, a pair, in November 1908, but they did not 

 breed till 1910. Then only two eggs were laid ; the small number of eggs 

 being presumably on account of the birds being young. The eggs were 

 laid at the end of March in a little hollow in the ground and were not 

 hidden in any way. One was broken, I believe by the cock bird. For 

 some unaccountable reason they did not breed at all the following year. 

 I may mention that this was the same with some Swamp Partridge 

 {Francolinus yidaris) which had also bred in 1910 and did so again 

 in 1912. 



In 1912 I saw the peafowl in copulation for the first time. The cock bird 

 was strutting about showing oft" with upraised train after the manner of his 

 kind, the hen being nowhere near him ; but this did not seem to afl'ect him 

 at all. The hen then came quietly near him and on seeing her, he gave a 

 loud scream and with drooping train made a rush at her, holding her down 

 by the head with his bill. After she left him, he began strutting about 

 as before and showing off. 



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