OF SELBORNE. 157 



appear by no means to be their tails ; those 

 long feathers growing not from their uropy- 

 gium, but all up their backs. A range of 

 short brown stiff feathers, about six inches 

 long, fixed in the uropygium, is the real 

 tail, and serves as the fulcrum to prop the 

 train, which is long and top-heavy, when 

 set an end. When the train is up, nothing 

 appears of the bird before but it's head and 

 neck ; but this would not be the case were 

 those long feathers fixed only in the rump, 

 as may be seen by the turkey-cock when 

 in a strutting attitude. By a strong mus- 

 cular vibration these birds can make the 

 shafts of their long feathers clatter like the 

 swords of a sword dancer; they then 

 trample very quick with their feet, and run 

 backwards towards the females. 



I should tell you that I have got an un- 

 common calculus cegogropila, taken out of 

 the stomach of a fat ox ; it is perfectly 

 round, and about the size of a large Seville 

 orange ; such are, I think, usually flat. 



