PEACOCK PINTADA. 119 



are said to be at present found in a wild state upon 

 the islands of Java and Ceylon. The history of 

 king Solomon is a voucher for the antiquity of the 

 peacock, and also the choice of the goddess Juno, 

 who selected this for her favourite bird, from its 

 gorgeous and brilliant plumage and majesty of de- 

 meanor. It is asserted by the ancient writers that 

 the first peacock was honoured with a public exhi- 

 bition at Athens ; that many people travelled thither 

 from Macedonia, to be spectators of that beautiful 

 phenomenon, the paragon of the feathered race. 

 It is probable the ancients, as well as the moderns, 

 introduced the peacock upon the table, rather as an 

 ornament than a viand. There are varieties of this 

 bird, some white ; they perch on trees like the 

 turkey. Their age extends to twenty years, and at 

 three, the tail of the, cock is full and complete. The 

 cock requires from two to four hens, and where the 

 country agrees with them, they are very prolific. 

 They are granivorous like other domestic fowls, 

 preferring barley. 



The PINTADA, or Guinea Hen, has been said to 

 unite the character and properties of the pheasant 

 and the turkey. It is about the size of the common 

 hen, but standing high upon its legs, gives it the 

 appearance of a larger size. The back is round, 

 with the tail turned downwards, like the partridge. 

 It is an active, restless, and courageous bird, and 

 will even attack the turkey, although so much above 

 its size. The Guinea fowls assimilate perfectly with 

 the common species in habits and in kinds of food ; 

 but have this peculiarity, that the cocks and hens 



