278 



PEACOCK, &c. Class II. 



bodies of thefe birds are extremely hot •, the Chinefe 

 on that account hold them in their hands in cold 

 weather in order to warm themfelves*. Chaude 

 comme tine Caille, is a common proverb. 



The antients never eat this bird, fuppofing them 

 to have been unwholefome, as they were faid to 

 feed on Hellebore. 



To the birds of this genus we fhould add the 

 whole tribe of domeftic land fowl, fuch as Peacocks^ 

 Pheafants^ &c. but thefe cannot clame even an Eu- 

 ropean origin. 

 Peacocks. India gave us Peacocks-, and we are afluredf 

 they are ftill found in the wild ftate, in vaft flocks, 

 in the iOands of Ceylon and Java. So beautiful a 

 bird could not long be permitted to be a flranger 

 in the more diftant parts •, for fo early as the days 

 of SolomonX, we find among the articles imported 

 in his Tarpjh navies, Jpes and Peacocks. A mo- 

 narch fo converfant in all branches of natural hif- 

 tory, who /poke of trees, from the cedar of LibanoUy 

 even unto the hyffop that fpringeth out of the wall : 

 who fpoke alfo of beafts and of fowl, would certain- 

 ly not negledt furniihing his officers with inftruc- 

 tions for coUefting every curiofity in the countries 

 they voyaged to, which gave him. a knowledge that 



* OJbeck's Voyage. I. 269. 

 f Knox's hiji. of Ceylon. 2S. 

 X Kings, I. 10. 



the 



