Historical Notices of the Peacock. 529 



be found in India. It is also probably a native of Japan, since the figures of it given by 

 Aldrovandus were taken from drawings sent to the Pope by the Japanese emperor. In general 

 habits it resembles the Indian bird, but is considerably wilder, and is only found a few together. 

 This last fact would tend to show some difference in habits ; but the two kinds breed freely, and 

 the orogeny is believed to be fertile. 



THE BLACK-WINGED PEACOCK, or Pavo nigripennis, is a third variety described 

 by Dr. Sclater,* and believed by him to be a distinct species, chiefly on the ground that they 

 propagate true to "points." It differs from the Common Peacock most plainly in the dark colour 

 of the wings, from which it takes its name, but the thighs are also of the same dark tint ; the 

 hens, on the contrary, are paler in colour. Mr. Darwin has, however, shown almost conclusively that 

 this coloured Peacock is merely a "sport" from the Common, which, as is sometimes though rarely 

 the case, breeds perfectly true. It has been proved that the Pavo nigripennis appeared suddenly 

 among Lord Brownlow's stock ; also in Sir J. Trevelyan's ; and again in Mr. Thornton's ; while in 

 the last two cases it extinguished or took the place of the previously-existing breed. Mr. Hudson 

 Gurney also informed Mr. Darwin that he reared a pair of black-shouldered birds from the 

 common kind ; and Professor Newton reared a female in the same way. Stronger evidence 

 there could hardly be. 



We find various historical notices of the Peacock, as might be expected of such a conspicuous 

 bird. Its dedication to Juno we have already alluded to. A favourite dish of Vitellius was partly 

 composed of the brains of peacocks; and Columella gives full directions for their management, 

 which are surprisingly judicious for so old a writer. In 1254 Henry III. offered a Peacock as a 

 prize for " running at the quintain." From a very early period the whole bird was considered a 

 dainty dish, and a " pecok enhakyll" (meaning with the train-feathers, showing probably some 

 connection with our modern word "hackle") is named by Fabian as one of the dishes at the 

 wedding-feast of Henry VI. From a curious old MS. in the Library of the Royal Society, we learn 

 the recipe for this noble dish, as follows : — " For a feste royal, pecokkes schol be dight on this 

 manere : Take and flee off the skynne, with the fedures, tayle, and the neck and head thereon. 

 Then take the skynne and all the fedures, and lay it on a tabel abrode, and straw thereon 

 grounden comyn. Then take the pecok and roste hym, and endore him with rawe yolkes of 

 eggs ; and when he is rosted take hym off and let hym cole a whyle, and take and sowe hym in 

 his skynne, and gild his combe, and so serve him forthe with the last cours." According to the 

 old play by Massinger, called " The City Madam," " The carcases of three fat wethers were bruised 

 for gravy to make sauce for a single peacock;" but probably "this is sorter ironikle," though it 

 is plain enough that the royal bird was the principal dish of the course. Chivalry, too, paid 

 honour to him ; the knight, before sallying forth on his adventures, making his vow before the 

 peacock and the ladies. 



And after all there is small wonder in this ; for there is no more magnificent sight in nature 

 than a peacock spreading his plumage in the sun before his gratified females, or even before the 

 spectator — for he is a vain fellow, and glad to show himself off to aity beholder in fine weather. He 

 sets off a country mansion well ; and though he is now sometimes affirmed to be dry and leathery 

 eating, that is a delusion more conducive to his longevity than true. He must have started the 

 idea himself, in fact, for his own private and particular reasons ; for while an old bird, like any 



* " Proceedings of the Zoological Society," April 24lh, i85o. 

 67 



