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The Illustrated Book of Poultry. 



we think, fatal objection, that there is nothing in this fowl — singular in many respects as it is — to 

 account for its being mentioned in such a special manner, while its abundance in Abyssinia would 

 make a three years' voyage quite needless to obtain as many specimens as could be desired. 



If we consider the Peacock to be really meant, however, all difficulties appear to vanish. 

 There are some other indications which may point to Ophir being in the East Indies ; as, for 

 instance, that the natives of Malacca still call their gold mines opliirs (De Poivre) ; but one of the 

 most singular, and more connected with our immediate subject, is that in Malabar the peacock 

 is still called Togci, and in one of the Indian dialects, Tikki, which may furnish a very probable 

 derivation for the word Tukiyyim. That such a gorgeous bird as the peacock should be sought 

 for and valued by a magnificent monarch like Solomon, who is also expressly stated to have taken 

 special interest in and had special knowledge of natural history, is highly probable ; and it is 

 equally so that a writer who had never seen anything approaching such plumage should deem it 

 worthy of special mention : while we do know that the bird was at a later age eagerly sought, 

 dedicated to Juno, and first bred in captivity in her temple at Samos. If any connection with 

 "crest" or " tuft " be also sought in the name, and the crest of the bird itself be — as we certainly 

 think it is — insufficient to account for it, we may suppose that the splendid tail carried erect may 

 be referred to ; or even, as it is well known tlAt the plumes were eagerly sought for to be used in 

 head-dresses, that the derivation may be thus explained ; for it is to be remembered that the root- 

 word being exotic, the exact signification is now difficult to ascertain. Some Indian region would 

 supply just the distance needed for a three years' voyage in those days ; and on all these and other 

 grounds, it is now considered far the most probable that Solomon really was nearly or quite the 

 first to import this beautiful bird from the East, and that some southern region of the Indies — it 

 might be India itself, or Malacca, or perhaps Ceylon — was the locality from which they and the 

 other precious products enumerated were procured. 



The few lines we have devoted to this curious subject will hardly be considered as wasted, 

 if it be remembered that such conclusions — supposing them to be correct — point to Solomon as 

 the first importer of fancy poultry* and, singularly enough, from the very same region whence the 

 most striking of our own more modern varieties have been obtained. So curious aji idea may be 

 smiled at, and perhaps be even classed with the familiar assumption regarding the same monarch 

 being " the first Freemason ;" but in this case we have at least a fair amount of solid evidence in 

 favour of such an honour and antiquity for our noble craft. 



The Pea-fowl, as will be gathered from the preceeding paragraphs, is found exclusively in 

 • Eastern Asia, in which it has, however, a pretty wide range, extending through a great part of 

 China, the whole of India, and the adjacent islands. -The crest or aigrette on the head, and the 

 extraordinary appendages which form what is commonly called the "tail" of the male bird, 

 distinguish these birds from allied species. It is hardly necessary now to state, that these* "tail" 

 feathers are in reality what in other fowls are called tail-coverts, springing from the back, and that 

 under them are the true tail-feathers which, when the gorgeous plumes are erected are also elevated, 

 and form a kind of frame-work or support for them. The peacock has the power of making a 

 curious clattering noise by shaking his plumes together, which he appears to do with the view 

 of attracting the female. 



THE COMMON PEA-FOWL, or Pavo eristatiis, is so well known as scarcely to need 

 description. The head, neck, and breast of the male are a rich purple, with beautiful blue 



* We do not overlook the passage in Job xx.\ix. 13. But the word there 15 entirely different from that here alluded to, and is 

 considered by most competent scholars to refer to the ostrich. 



