1()4 ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. 



glance, — whose souls seem incapable of embracing the 

 true idea of perfect beauty, and who only appreciate that 

 which is uncommon. Were it known that a paradise 

 or a humming bird could be seen alive in any of our 

 zoological gardens, — birds which, however beautiful, sink 

 into insignificance before this, — half London would 

 flock to see them : nay, if one of those monstrous abor- 

 tions — a double-headed chicken, which we have more 

 than once read of — could have been fed and reared, the 

 owner would have made his fortune ! Thus does curi- 

 osity, in minds essentially vulgar, predominate over the 

 lasting sense of beauty ; and the glories of the visible 

 heavens, no less than the splendour of the peacock, are 

 ])assed with indifference by unreflecting millions, be- 

 cause both are every-day sights. 



The native regions of the domestic or common pea- 

 cock are in the southern provinces of Asia, whence it was 

 imported, '^' in the ships of Tarshish *," so far back as 

 the reign of king Solomon. The gluttonous and de- 

 based Romans seem to have prized them more for the 

 fancied delicacy of their tongues than for anything else, — 

 a part of the bird which no one in modern times would 

 think of eating. The noble bird, however, was held in 

 far different estimation by the Greeks, who considered it 

 a fit emblem and companion of their fabulous queen of 

 heaven ; and Juno was always represented accompanied 

 by her peacock. 



The habits of these birds in a state of nature have 

 been thus described by an eye-witness : — They abound 

 chiefly in close wooded tracts, particularly where there 

 is an extent of long grass for them to range in. They are 

 very thirsty birds, and will remain only where they can 

 have easy access to water. If there be trees near such 

 spots, the peacocks may be seen mounting into them to 

 roost, every evening towards dusk : here they continue 

 until the sun rises, when they descend to feed ; and pass 

 the mid-day in the heavy covers. They are very fear- 

 ful of all quadrupeds, especially of dogs, since they are 



* 2 Chron. ix. 21. 1 Kings, x. 22. 



