506 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



Sub-fara. Pavonine, — Pea-fowl. 



Syn. Pavonidce, Bonap. 



Plumage more or less ocellated. Inhabit India and Burmah 

 with Malayana, not extending into the Himalayas. 

 Gen. Pavo, Linnaeus. 



Char. — Bill lengthened, slender-, the nareal portion large ; nos- 

 trils linear ; head ornamented with an erect crest of feathers of a 

 peculiar structure ; orbitar region naked ; tail moderately long, 

 of eighteen feathers ; feathers of the back and upper tail-covei-ts 

 of great length, long, surpassing the tail, and beautifully ocellated ; 

 tarsi rather long, spurred in the male. 



The Peacock is too well known to require any remarks on his 

 general structure and appearance. But two species are known, 

 the one inhabiting India Proper, the other Assam, Burmah, and 

 parts of Malayana. 



803, Pavo cristatus, LiNNiEus. 



PI. enl. 433, 434— Blyth, Cat. 1449— Jerdon, Cat. 265— 

 Sykes, Cat. 146 — 3Ior, Mhor, H. Beng. and Mahr. also Manjur, H. 

 — Nimili, Tel. — Myl, Tarn. — 31ab-ja, Bhot. — Mong-yung, Lepch. 



The Common Peacock. 



Descr. — Male, head, neck, and breast rich purple, with gold and 

 green reflections ; back green, the feathers scale-like, with cop- 

 pery edges ; the wings, with the inner-coverts, including the shoul- 

 der, white, striated with black ; the middle coverts deep blue ; the 

 primaries and tail chesnut ; abdomen and vent black, t^p train 

 chiefly green, beautifully ocellated ; the thigh coverts yellowish 

 grey ; head with a crest of about 24 feathers, only webbed at the 

 tip, and green with blue and gold reflections. 



Bill horny brown ; naked orbits whitish ; irides dark brown ; 

 legs horny brown. Length to the end of the true tail 3^ to 4 

 feet ; wing 18 inches ; tail 24 ; the long train sometimes measures 

 4^ feet and even more. *^ 



The Peahen is chesnut brown about the head and nape, the neck 

 greenish, edged with pale whity brown ; the upper plumage light 

 hair-brown, with faint wavings, increased on the upper tail- 



