162 Gleanings from the 



gave by grant immunities to his tenants outride 

 the regard of Dartmoor Foreft, he expreffly allows 

 them to take the roe, fox, wild-cat, wolf, hare, and 

 otter, but no mention is made of the rabbit, which, 

 perhaps, was not common yet' in that diftridt. So 

 in the accounts of Exeter College, Oxford, for 

 1361, I2d. is charged for four ducks, nd. for 

 two fucking-pigs, id. for onions, and 8d. for 

 rabbits. 1 They were probably 4d. or 5d. each, as 

 they were then fcarce. From us this animal has 

 found its way with difaftrous confequences to 

 Auftralafia. 



Turning next to birds, we will begin with what 

 Lucretius beautifully calls 



"Aurea pavonum ridenti imbuta lepore 

 Sscla." 2 



Peacocks are natives of the Indian jungles; and 

 fo Curtius, fpeaking of Alexander the Great's ex- 

 pedition, fays: "Thence they marched through a 

 defert to the river Hydraotes" (now the Ravee in 

 the Punjaub). "Adjoining it was a wood, gloomy 

 with trees elfewhere unknown, and filled with a 

 multitude of wild peacocks." Solomon imported 

 peacocks from the Indian Ocean. It was a bird 

 unknown to Homer, and was received by the 

 Greeks from the Perfians ; the Greek, Perfian, 

 and Hebrew names for the bird being very much 

 alike. Its feathers were ufed for luxury in Greece 

 and Rome, and the bird itfelf formed a celebrated 

 plat at banquets. For this purpofe thofe which 



1 "Regifter of Exeter College," 1879, p. ix (note). 



2 Lucretius, ii. 502. 



