500 



Eije 



at Natural 



may be traced by a different undulation of 

 shade upon that part. There is also a varie- 

 gated or mixed breed, between the common 

 and the white variety ; in which every pro- 

 portion of colour between the two is at dif- 

 ferent times observed. Sometimes the female 

 assumes the plumage of the male, which is 

 said to take place only after she has done 

 laying ; but instances of this, we believe, 

 are very rare. The Peacock formerly graced 

 the tables of the magnates of the land, and 

 was served up with the feathers of the neck 

 and tail preserved : its flesh, however, is far 

 less delicious than that of the turkey, and 

 it now rarely appears on the festive board. 



In size and proportions the two species are 

 nearly similar, but the crest of Pavo Javani- 

 cus is much longer thau that of P. cristatus, 

 and the feathers of which it is composed are 

 regularly barbed from the base upwards in 

 the adult bird, and of equal breadth through- 

 out. Head and crest interchangeably blue 

 and green. A naked space on the cheeks, 

 including the eyes and ears, is coloured of a 



JAVANESE PEACOCK. 

 (PAVO JAVANICTJS.) 



light yellow behind, and bluish-green to- 

 wards its fore part. The feathers of the 

 neck and breast, which are broad, short, 

 rounded, and imbricated like the scales of a 

 fish, are at their base of the same brilliant. 

 hue as the head, and have a broad, lighter, 

 somewhat metallic margin ; those of the back 

 have still more of the metallic lustre. The 

 wing-coverts have a deeper tinge of blue. 

 The tail-feathers and their coverts (the train) 

 are of a splendid metallic brown, changing 

 into green ; their barbs very long, loose, and 

 silky ; and the latter are almost all termi- 

 nated by ocellated spots similar to those 

 which mark the train of the common species, 

 and of nearlv the same size. Like it, also, 

 they are of a beautiful deep purple in the 

 centre, which is surrounded by a band of 

 green, becoming narrow behind, but widen- 

 ing in front and filling up a kind of notch 

 that occurs in the blue ; then comes a broad 

 brownish band ; and lastly, a narrow black 

 ring, edged with chestnut, all beautifully 

 iridescent. Bill of a grayish horn-colour ; 

 iris deep hazel. Legs strong, naked, reticu- 

 lated, dusky black. 

 The beauty of the Peacock's plumage was 



a theme of admiration in the remotest times ; 

 and the bird was sought after as capable of 

 adding splendour to the magnificence of 

 Solomon. The chief display of this beauty 

 arises from that arrangement of long and 

 gorgeous feathers which spring from the 

 space between the region behind the wings 

 and the origin of the tail ; but the use of 

 tliis to the bird itself has been a subject of 

 doubt. At first sight it seems to be no better 

 than a luxuriance of nature, and an encum- 

 brance rather than a benefit. The action 

 by which their splendour is outspread has 

 also been deemed an absurd manifestation 

 of pride. But men are imperfect interpreters 

 of the actions of animals ; and a closer exa- 

 mination of the habits of this bird affords a 

 different explanation. 



PEACOCK [BUTTERFLY]. A name 

 given by insect collectors to Butterflies of 

 the species Vanessa lo. 



PEARL [MOTHS]. A name given by 

 collectors to Moths of the genus Margaritia. 



PEARL OYSTER. (Avicula Margari- 

 tifera.) A bivalve Mollusc, celebrated for the 

 valuable nacreous substance, called mother- 

 of-pearl, with which the inside of the shell 

 is lined, but still more for the little globu- 

 lar, oval, or pear-shaped concretions, called 

 pearls, which are sometimes found free and 

 detached within the lobes of the mantle. 

 They are thus described by an eminent con- 

 chologist : " Pearls are small nacreous balls, 

 that become formed and hardened within 

 the body of the animal : they are found de- 

 posited in the most fleshy parts, particularly 

 within and around the adductor muscle, and 

 are said to be occasioned by the overcharge 

 of those glands whose function it is to secrete 

 the nacreous fluid destined for the internal 

 lining of the shell. When the animal is 

 thus diseased, this beautiful irridescent fluid 



PK ARI.-OYSTE /!. (A VIC 



MARGARITIFERA.) 



is very irregularly discharged, being also 

 deposited upon the inner surface of the shell 

 in little excrescences ; these are often de- 

 tached, and form articles of commerce as 

 pearls of inferior value, the former being 

 considered more precious, both on account 

 of their rotundity of form and the clearness 

 and beauty of their complexion." .Reeve's 

 Con. Sys. 



From an interesting article on Pearls and 

 Pearl Fisheries, by Dr. Baird (in Chambers's 

 Miscellany, No. 167.), we glean the follow- 

 ing :" Substances so unlike the composi- 

 tion of the shells in which they are found 

 must naturally give rise to speculations re- 

 specting their origin ; and thus we find, in 



