BURMESE PEAFOWL 163 



bird ends; it has been recorded from one locality in Cachar, 

 where, however, the other is the ordinary species, as in Assam ; it 

 is the only peafowl found in Burma and Malaysia, and ranges 

 eastwards to Java. It must have been taken to Japan many 

 centuries ago, for it was first described by Aldrovandi in the 

 16th century, from a drawing sent by the Japanese Emperor 

 to the Pope. In Europe it is rare in captivity, and not much 

 is on record about it in the wild state. It is not nearly so 

 common in most places as is the Indian peafowl, being only 

 really abundant in our limits in Upper Burma, and occurring 

 generally in isolated colonies a long distance apart. The general 

 habits appear to be similar to those of the common peafowl, 

 though it is much wilder and less sociable, but there are no 

 doubt other differences in detail. Wallace, speaking of the bird 

 in Java, says it flies over high trees with ease, and an officer 

 I met told me that it could be seen in the evening flighting up 

 the rivers in Burma ; this looks as if it flew more freely and 

 readily than the Indian species, and it certainly has longer wings, 

 the pinion-quills showing their tips outside the others in the 

 closed wing. Its remarkably slim and long-legged build is also 

 noticeable; in fact, it is as stiity as many waders, and I have seen 

 hens at the London Zoo, when kept along with cranes, wading 

 and standing in a small pond in cold as well as hot weather, 

 though their mate, a very chilly bird, would not do so. Tickell 

 also says that these birds, as well as jungle-fowl in Burma, 

 especially affect islets in rivers in the evening, scratching in the 

 sand at the margin and roosting safe from vermin. Possibly 

 they wade about also ; the domestic fowl in India is certainly a 

 great wader in suburban ditches in Calcutta, or was in my time, 

 when they seemed nearly as aquatic as rails, wading right up to 

 their hocks. 



The display of this peafowl is similar to that of the common 

 species, but the wings are brought farther forward so as to brush 

 the -legs, and owing to the length of these and the comparative 

 skimpiness of the train, the " nautch " is less grand and imposing. 

 As this green peafowl has occurred in the territory of the other 

 species, hybrids between the two might occasionally occur, so it 

 is worth while to mention the points of some which were bred 



