138 HISTORY OF 



of these qualities mark pretty well the nature of 

 this extraordinary bird. When it appears with 

 its tail expanded, there is none of the feathered 

 creation can vie with it for beauty ; yet the horrid 

 scream of its voice serves to abate the pleasure 

 we find from viewing it ; and still more, its insa- 

 tiable gluttony and spirit of depredation make it 

 one of the most noxious domestics that man has 

 taken under his protection. 



Our first peacocks were brought from the East 

 Indies ; and we are assured, that they are still 

 found in vast flocks, in a wild state, in the islands 

 of Java and Ceylon. So beautiful a bird, and one 

 esteemed such a delicacy at the tables of the 

 luxurious, could not be permitted to continue 

 long at liberty in its distant retreats. So early 

 as the days of Solomon, we find in his navies, 

 among the articles imported from the East, apes 

 and peacocks. ^Elian relates, that they were 

 brought into Greece from some barbarous coun- 

 try, and were held in such high esteem among 

 them, that a male and female were valued at 

 above thirty pounds of our money. We are told 

 also, that when Alexander was in India, he found 

 them flying wild in vast numbers on the banks 

 of the river Hyarotis, and was so struck with their 

 beauty that he laid a severe fine and punishment 

 on all who should kill or disturb them. Nor are 

 we to be surprised at this, as the Greeks were 

 so much struck with the beauty of this bird, when 

 first brought among them, that every person paid 

 a fixed price for seeing it; and several people 



