276 Manual of the Game Birds of India. 



The cock bird invariably leads the way, 

 rising suddenly from the brushwood near 

 the roosting tree, with a loud ' Kok-kok- 

 kok-kok] and being presently followed 

 by his harem four or five hens. . . . 

 These birds cease to congregate soon 

 after the crops are off the ground. The 

 pairing season is in the early part of the 

 hot weather. The Peacock has then 

 assumed his full train, that is, the longest 

 or last rows of his upper tail-coverts, 

 which he displays of a morning, strutting 

 about before his wives. These strange 

 gestures, which the natives gravely denomi- 

 nate the Peacock's nautch^ or dance, are 

 very similar to those of a turkey-cock, 

 and accompanied by an occasional odd 

 shiver of the quills, produced apparently 

 by a convulsive jerk of the abdomen." 



Mr. Sanderson, as quoted by Messrs. 

 Hume and Marshall, has some useful 

 remarks on this species. He says : 

 "Pea-Fowl usually commence their dis- 

 cordant cries at half-past two in the 

 morning, and not unfrequently cry at 

 intervals throughout moonlight nights. 

 They raise a shrill clamour during the 

 day on seeing tigers or other beasts of 

 prey, or at unusual sounds, such as the 

 firing of a gun in the jungles. 



