THE PEACOCK. 43 



The females sometimes assume the plumage 

 of the male. This is said to take place after 

 they have done laying. A specimen in this 

 state of transformation is preserved in the 

 British Museum. 



In this connection I may remark that Dr. 

 McCormick, in his great work, " Voyages of 

 Discovery in the Arctic and Antarctic Seas," 

 describes a similar lusus natures in the case 

 of a tame Aylesbury duck, which he had reared 

 from a duckling. She laid 120 eggs the first 

 year, and so continued until her tenth year, 

 when she ceased laying, and then assumed 

 the curled tail-feathers of the drake. A most 

 amusing and interesting account of this duck 

 will be found at page 359 et seq. of Vol. II. of 

 the above-named work. 



"When pleased or delighted, and in the 

 sight of his females, the peacock erects his 

 train and displays the majesty of his beauty. 

 All his movements are full of dignity ; his 

 head and neck bend nobly back, his pace is 

 slow and solemn, and he frequently turns 

 slowly and gracefully round, as if to catch 

 the sunbeams in every direction, and produce 

 new colours of inconceivable richness." 



So says Thomas Bewick ; but I have 

 sometimes seen the peacock in a less digni- 

 fied and less satisfied state of mind. Did 



