128 BOMBAY DUCKS 



it is a comparatively rare object in all the other parts of 

 the country. The mischievous monkey is everywhere 

 an object of veneration to the orthodox Hindu. One 

 could wish that this superstition were more local and 

 that of the sanctity of the peacock more widespread. 

 However, we must be thankful for small mercies. It 

 is well that peafowl are protected in some parts of the 

 country. 



The peacock is a typical Asiatic. His habits remind 

 one of those of a non-Europeanized raja. He leads a 

 lazy, useless life among the ladies of the harem. He 

 lives for display. " The poor bird," said Chrysippus, 

 "is created only for its tail." Had the Greek said that 

 the bird was created for its train he would have been 

 nearer the mark, for the tail of the peacock is a very 

 insignificant affair ; the train is formed by the great 

 growth of the feathers which are known to ornithologists 

 as the upper tail-coverts, since in most birds they merely 

 cover the upper part of the base of the tail. 



The gait of the peacock is pride personified. As he 



walks, his looks, like those of an oriental prince, seem to 



express the words, 



" Ye meaner fowl, give place. 

 I am all splendour, dignity, and grace." 



The beauty of the peacock has always fascinated 

 Westerns. King Solomon used to import the bird from 

 distant Ophir ; while Alexander the Great sent one of 

 these gorgeous creatures to Athens, where the people 

 used to assemble in great crowds to see it. 



The luxurious Romans imported the peacock as a 

 table bird. It was served up in a dish ornamented by 



