PEAFOWLS 209 



which it had previously come from the Persian. Hence, the 

 history of the name indicates that the distribution of the peafowl 

 was along much the same lines in Europe as the distribution 

 of the fowl. 



Origin. The peafowl is supposed to be a native of Java and 

 Ceylon. It is found throughout Southern Asia and is said to 

 be very numerous in India and Ceylon, both in the wild state 

 and in a half-domestic state. It was known to the Jews in the 

 time of Solomon, and to all the ancient civilized peoples of 

 Western Asia, Europe, and Africa at a very early period. In 

 the days of the Roman Empire a peacock served with the 

 feathers on 1 was a favorite dish at the feasts of wealthy Romans, 

 and this mode of serving the bird was continued in Western 

 Europe for many centuries. At what time they were introduced 

 into that part of the world is not known, but it is probable that 

 they were distributed to the various countries soon after the 

 Roman conquests. Nor is anything known of their first in- 

 troduction into America. It is, however, quite reasonable to 

 suppose that some were brought here at an early date by 

 wealthy colonists. 



Place in domestication. In Europe and America the peafowl 

 is now bred only for ornamental purposes. That seems to be 

 its status even in the Asiatic countries, where it is most abundant, 

 and its position has probably been much the same in all lands 

 and in all ages. The use of fully developed peacocks for food 

 at banquets was simply a display of barbarous extravagance. 

 Although a young peafowl is very good eating, a male old 

 enough to have acquired its full plumage would be hard, tough, 

 and unpalatable. The peafowl is not prolific enough to be a 



1 Of course the bird was not cooked with the feathers on, but was skinned, the 

 feathers remaining in the skin, and after the flesh was cooked the skin with the feathers 

 was placed over it before it appeared on the table. Skinning poultry instead of plucking 

 the feathers seems to have been quite a common practice in old times. As recently as 

 between 1880 and 1890 the author heard of people who preferred it as the easiest way 

 of preparing chickens to be cooked immediately. 



