PEACOCK. 123 



neck and breast rufous. It is said that these birds are found in the 

 greatest plenty in Sumatra, in the midst of the deepest woods, and 

 are easily taken by snares, laid for them in the night, during which 

 time they seek their food, never appearing in the day time ; that they 

 assemble in great flocks, and the noise of their wings, and their cries, 

 may be heard at a great distance. 



A drawing of this bird, of the full size, in General Hardwicke's 

 collection, of which we have given a figure, measured six feet in 

 length, and differed in some particulars ; the head wholly covered 

 with feathers, variegated, and waved with dusky, dull orange, and 

 whitish. Bill and legs pale reddish brown ; the two centre tail 

 feathers are about four feet long, waved on the edges, ending in a 

 blunt point; and although the colour of the plumage in general 

 nearly answers to the former description, yet the whole is much 

 darker, and appears less brilliant. This is probably either a female 

 bird or a young male, yet from its very complete plumage it is more 

 probably the former. Among some drawings of this bird in the 

 Museum at the India House, is a figure of one, in which the predo- 

 minant colour above is dusky plain black; the whole of the head, 

 neck, and all the belly, marbled red brown and black, in concentric 

 circles ; in other parts inclining to rufous ; legs red, smooth, without 

 any spur. 



In a book of drawings belonging to A. B. Lambert, Esq. is a 

 singular, large bird of the Gallinaceous Tribe, supposed to be 

 hybridous. It is of the size of a small Turkey. The bill dusky, 

 under mandible paler, shaped as in others of the kind ; the head, as 

 far as the eyes, yellowish white mottled ; the feathers of the crown a 

 trifle elevated or tufted ; the general colour of the plumage red 

 brown, paler on the under parts of the body, and the margins of the 

 feathers in general palest ; many of the longer tail coverts mottled 

 with black and red brown ; but the tail itself is for the most part 



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