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Chapter XLVI. 
PEA AND GUINEA FOWLS. 
The Pea Fowl has been known from the earhest times, and possesses a greater historical interest than 
any known variety of Domestic Poultry. The Pea Fowl is found throughout the greater part of China, India, 
and the adjacent islands. The crest, and the peculiar and extraordinary appendages which form the chief 
beauty of the Peacock, are the plumes which grow from the back in such abundance These virtually 
correspond to the tail coverts found in other varieties of Poultry, the true tail feathers being under them, 
which, when the magnificent plumes are in erection, are also elevated, and form a rest to support the plumes. 
The cock makes a peculiar noise by working the plumes together, possibly to attract the attention of the Pea 
hen. The head, neck, and breast of the male are a rich purple, with brilliant blue reflections, the head being 
surrounded with a crest composed of twenty-four feathers, which are webbed at the tip only, and are of 
brilliant green and blue shades. The back is of a greenish shade, the feathers being laced with a brownish 
copper colour ; the wings whitish, and striped with black, shading off gradually into a beautiful deep blue. 
The primaries and feathers of the true tail are of a dark chestnut colour ; the tail coverts or plumes are a 
brilliant glossy green, distinctly ocellated at the extremities. The thighs are of a greyish hue, and the belly 
and under-parts of rump black. The eyes are of a dark hazel colour, with pearly margin ; the legs, brown, 
and spurred similarly to the Domestic Fowl. The neck is very long, slender, and snaky, the head being out 
of all proportion to the size of the body. The hen is of much more sombre hues than the cock, approach- 
ing a quiet chestnut brown, shaded on different parts of the body, especially the wings and tail ; these are 
generally mottled with greyish white. The crest on the hen is much smaller and duller than the cock's. In 
some parts of India they are very common. Peacock-shooting being followed up as a recognised sport. 
These latter birds are identical with the Pea Fowl, with which all of us are more or less familiar. There are 
two or three other varieties of the Pea Fowl to be found, viz.. White, Parti-coloured, and Black-winged, all 
offshoots of the common Pea Fowl and the Japanese Pea Fowl, which latter differs considerably from the 
common variety in colour and other points. The crest in the Japanese bird is nearly twice the size of the 
crest of the ordinary variety, and the feathers which compose the crest are webbed from the roots. The 
colour of the neck feathers is a brilliant greenish hue, margined or laced with dark golden colour, the 
feathers being close-fitting, and overlapping one another like a neck-covering of mail. The sheen on the 
feathers is marvellous, quite exceeding in brilliancy the lustre of all other varieties. The back is a beautiful 
bright copper-bron ze, barred with lustrous green and light brown markings. The shoulder coverts resemble 
those of the ordinary variety, but exhibit a more lustrous shade of blue. The tail coverts or plumes are of a 
brilliant green, barred across with gold and bright copper-bronze reflections, and in the breeding season these 
barred feathers are replaced by other plumes similar to the common Peacock, but with more bronze in the 
lustre of the feather. The hen is similar in colour to the common variety. This variety is found in Siam, 
Burmah, Java, Sumatra, the Straits Settlements, but rarely further west. 
The Black-winged Peacock differs from the common variety in the colour of the wings and thighs, the 
hens, on the contrary, being paler in colour ; these are evidently a sport from the common variety. Pea 
Fowls are scarcely ever likely to become general favourites. The harsh scream of the cock is very disagree- 
able, and the cock is of a very quarrelsome disposition if kept with other Poultry, killing many. They are 
naturally wild in disposition, and will not do well in confinement, having a tendency to roost in as elevated a 
position as possible, and requiring free range to he seen to advantage. They are very ornamental adjuncts 
to the surroundings of a mansion, but for ordinary purposes are valueless. In managing them a cock should 
