144 



CRESTED PEACOCK* 



at the extremity of these feathers the barbs unite^ 

 and form a flat extended vane, decorated with 

 what is called the eye, which has in its centre a 

 heart-shaped velvety black spot, surrounded with 

 a circle of green, with a blue and violet reflection; 

 this is again encompassed with two other circles, 

 glossed with diflferent tints of gold and copper- 

 colour, varying into other shades, according to 

 their position with respect to the light : the ex- 

 ternal row of feathers are not adorned with the 

 eye-like spot, but are of an uniform dusky colour: 

 the thighs are yellowish ; the legs are grey-brown, 

 those of the male furnished with a strong spur, 

 nearly an inch in length. 



The female is rather less than the male, and 

 her train is very short, and destitute of those re- 

 splendent beauties that ornament that of the male, 

 and the feathers of which it is composed are even 

 shorter than the tail itself: her crest is shorter, 

 and her whole plumage partakes of a cinereous 

 hue : her throat and neck are green ; and the spots 

 on the sides of the head are larger than those of 

 the male. 



In a domestic state the Peacock varies greatly 

 in its plumage, but all its varieties are readily distin- 

 guished by having the wing-coverts transversely 

 striated with black : the wings are also striated, and 

 variegated with rufous, blackish and green ; having 

 a ground colour, reddish-brown : the variegated 

 Peacock is only a mixed breed, between the com- 

 mon and the white variety, and is found in every 

 variety and proportion of colour between the 



