188 THE PEA FOWL. 



at nine months old. The female does not lay till her 

 third summer ; but she then seems to have an in- 

 stinctive fear of her mate, manifested by the secrecy 

 with which she selects the place for her nest ; nor, if 

 the eggs are disturbed, will she go there again. She 

 lays from four or five to seven. If these are taken, she 

 will frequently lay a second time, in the course of the 

 summer, which plan is recommended to those who 

 are anxious to increase their stock. She sits from 

 twenty-seven to twenty-nine days. A common hen 

 will hatch and rear the young ; but the same objec- 

 tion lies against her performing that office, except in 

 very fine, long summers, for the pea fowl, as for tur- 

 keys ; namely, that the poults require to be brooded 

 longer than the hen is able conveniently to do. A tur- 

 key will prove a much better foster mother in every 

 respect. The peahen should, of course, be permitted 

 to take charge of one set of eggs. Even without such 

 assistance she will be tolerably successful. 



The chicks are engaging little things, most elegant 

 in appearance, very tame and confident. They may 

 be made to sit upon the hand to peck flies from the 

 window. The same Wise Provision is evinced by 

 them, as in the Guinea fowl, but still in a greater 

 degree. The demands of nature for the growth of 

 bone, muscle, and particularly of feathers, are so great, 

 that no subsequent abundant supply of food can make 

 up for a fast of a couple of hours. The feathers still 

 go on, grow ! grow ! ! grow ! ! ! in geometrical pro- 

 gression, and drain the sources of vitality still faster 

 than they can be supplied, till the young birds faint 

 and expire from want of fullness. 



Their native jungle, in India, tall dense, sometimes 

 impervious, swarming with reptiles, quadrupeds, and 

 even insect enemies, would be a most dangerous habi- 

 tation for a little tender thing, that can but run and 

 merely squat. Accordingly, they escape from the egg 

 with their quill feathers very highly developed. In 

 three days, they will fly up and perch upon anything 



