128 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE 



giving it a jerky motion, he struts round the females, 

 just as a turkey-cock does. Suddenly he stops his 

 strut, as the scream of a rival is heard in the distance. 

 His tail is at once dropped from its elevated position, 

 his head thrown back and chest protruded. Then 

 the head is shot forward and the answering 

 challenge is given, as he advances in the direction 

 of his expected rival. The scream is repeated 

 several times by the rival cocks, and then the 

 combat begins. This was the most amusing part 

 of the show, and must be seen in its utter ludi- 

 crousness to be appreciated. Watch a pair of 

 country cocks making a great show of fight, yet 

 half-afraid to come to close quarters, and you 

 have a good idea of what took place. The two 

 women representing the peacocks would face each 

 other, about ten paces apart, heads lowered to 

 the dust, and their attitude seeming to say, 

 " Come on, if you dare ! >; Then one would 

 begin to crow, but before he was half through 

 his note of defiance, the other would prance 

 forward a few paces. This went on until they 

 came face to face and now for the duel ! 

 Heads wagging close together, and tails jerking 

 spasmodically, suddenly both birds spin round, and 

 clash come their tails together, and the feathers 

 (leaves) fly. Again they face, and again they spin 

 round, and bang go the tail bunches, amid the 

 shrieks of laughter of the hen birds. Now they 

 spin round continuously, the tails going " whack, 

 whack/' till no tails are left, when one of the 

 combatants sinks down exhausted, and with a 



