140 HISTORY OF 



ration. The bird, thus prepared, was often pre- 

 served for many years without corrupting ; and 

 it is asserted of the peacock's flesh, that it keeps 

 longer unputrefied than that of any other animal. 

 To give a higher zest to these entertainments, on 

 weddings particularly, they filled the bird's beak 

 and throat with cotton and camphire, which they 

 set on fire to amuse and delight the company. I 

 do not know that the peacock is much used at 

 our entertainments at present, except now and 

 then at an alderman's dinner or a common-coun- 

 cil feast, when our citizens resolve to be splendid ; 

 and even then it is never served with its cotton 

 and camphire. 



Like other birds of the poultry kind, the pea- 

 cock feeds upon corn, but its chief predilection 

 is for barley. But as it is a very proud and fickle 

 bird, there is scarcely any food that it will not 

 at times covet and pursue. Insects and tender 

 plants are often eagerly sought at a time that it 

 has a sufficiency of its natural food provided more 

 nearly. In the indulgence of these capricious 

 pursuits, walls cannot easily confine it ; it strips 

 the tops of houses of their tiles or thatch, it lays 

 waste the labours of the gardener, roots up his 

 choicest seeds, and nips his favourite flowers in 

 the bud. Thus its beauty but ill recompenses 

 for the mischief it occasions ; and many of the 

 more homely looking fowls are very deservedly 

 preferred before it. 



Nor is the peacock less a debauchee in its affec- 

 tions than a glutton in its appetites. He is still 

 more salacious than even the cock 5 and though 



