CLASS AVES 631 



beautiful bird inhabits both North America and temperate 

 Europe and Asia. The common peacock, Pavo cristatus, of the 

 Indian peninsula, Ceylon, and Assam, has been in domestication 

 at least from the time of Solomon. It has been distributed by 

 man over most of the world. The swan is, like the peacock, 

 used now chiefly as an ornament. The mute swan, Cygnus olor, 

 of Central Europe and Central Asia, is the common domesticated 

 species. The guinea-fowl, Numida meleagris, is a native of West 

 Africa. Farmers usually keep a few of them to " frighten away 

 the hawks." 



The turkey is a domesticated bird that has been brought under 

 control within the past four centuries. Our Puritan ancestors 

 found the wild turkey abundant in New England. It was intro- 

 duced into Europe early in the sixteenth century and soon be- 

 came a valuable domestic animal. In its wild state, it is now 

 almost extinct except in some of the remoter localities. Out 

 domestic turkeys are descendants of the Mexican wild turkey. 



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