278 
PE ACO’C-K3 &c. Giasee 
bodies of thefe birds are extremely hot; the Chinefe 
> on that account hold them in their hands in cold 
PEACOCKS. 
weather in order to warm themfelves*. Chaude 
comme une Caille, is a common proverb. 
The antients never eat this bird, fuppofing them 
to have been unwholefome, as they were faid to 
feed on Hellebore. 
To the birds of this genus we fhould add the 
whole tribe of domeftic land fowl, fuch as Peacocks, 
Pheafants, é&c. but thefe cannot clame even an Ez- 
ropean origin. 
India gave us Peacocks; and we are affured+ 
they are ftill found in the wild ftate, in vaft flocks, 
in the iflands of Ceylon and Fava. So beautiful a 
bird could not long be permitted to be a ftranger 
in the more diftant parts; for fo early as the days 
of Solomon}, we find among the articles imported 
in his Tarfbifh navies, Apes and Peacocks. A mo- 
narch fo converfant in all branches of natural hif- 
tory, who {poke of trees, from the cedar of Libanon, 
even unto the hyffop that fpringeth out of the wall: 
who {poke alfo of beafis and of fowl, would certain- 
ly not neglect furnifhing his officers with inftruc- 
tions for collecting every curiofity in the countries 
they voyaged to, which gave him a knowledge that 
* Ofbeck’s Voyage. I. 269. 
+ Knox’s hift. of Ceylon. 28. 
1 Kings, I. 10. 
the 
