BIRDS. 253 
emerald, and the purple hue of the amethyst. His head, 
which is small and finely shaped, has several curious 
stripes of white and black round the eyes, and is sur- 
mounted by an elegant plume, or tuft of feathers, each of 
which is composed of a slender stem and a small tuft at 
the top. Displayed with conscious pride, and exposed 
under a variety of angles to the reflections of versatile 
light, the broad and variegated disks of his tail, of which 
the neck, head, and breast of the bird become the centre, 
claims our well merited admiration. By an extraordinary 
mixture of the brightest colours, it displays at once the 
richness of gold, and the paler tints of silver, fringed 
with bronze-coloured edges, and surrounding eye-like 
spots of dark brown and sapphire. The female does not 
share in the beauty of the cock, and her feathers are 
generally of a light brown. She lays only a few eggs at 
a time, and these at a distance of usually three or four 
days from each other ; they are white and spotted, like 
the eggs of the turkey. She sits from twenty-seven to 
thirty days. 
The loud screamings of the Peacock are worse than the 
harsh croakings of the raven, and a sure prognostic of 
bad weather ; and his feet, more clumsy than those of the 
turkey, make a sad contrast with the elegance of the rest. 
Though richest hues the Peacock's plumes adorn, 
Yet horror screams from his discordant throat. 
The spreading of the tail, the swelling of the throat, 
neck, and breast, and the puffing noise, which they emit 
at certain times, are proofs that the turkey and the Pea- 
cock stand nearly allied in the family chain of animated 
beings. 
The flesh of the Peacock was anciently esteemed a 
princely dish ; and the whole bird used to be served on 
the table, with the feathers of the neck and tail preserved ; 
