Identifier: bookofornitholog00bost (find matches)
Title: A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds
Year: 1832 (1830s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Boston, W. Hyde
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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being scarce, were sold at a great price. In many parts of their native country they are seen invast flocks together, feeding their young, and leadingthem in quest of food. All their habits are like those ofthe poultry kind. Their eggs, like their bodies, arespeckled; in cold climates they lay but five or six in aseason, but they are far more prolific in their sultry re-gions at home. THE PEACOCK. This bird, by the common people of Italy, is said tohave the plumage of an angel, the voice of a devil and theentrails of a thief. The first Peacocks were brought intoEurope from the East Indies ; and it is said that they arestill found in vast flocks in a wild state in the island ofJava and Ceylon. The head of this beautiful bird is adorned with a tuft,consisting of twenty-four feathers, whose slender shafts, THE PEACOCK. 97 are furnished only at the ends with webs exquisitely paint-ed with a rich green mixed with gold; the head, throat,neck and breast are of a deep blue, glossed with green
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and gold ; the lower parts are black with a greenish hue.The distinguishing mark of this singular bird, however, isits train, which rises just above the tail, and, when erected,10 THE PEACOCK. forms a fan of the most resplendent beauty; the twomiddle feathers are sometimes four feet and a half long-,the others gradually diminishing on each side, the shaftswhite, and furnished from their origin nearly to the endwith parted filaments of varying colours ending in a fiatvane, decorated with what is called the eye. The realtail consists of short, stiff brown feathers, which serve asa support to the train. When pleased or delighted, and in sight of his females,the Peacock erects his train, and displays all the majestyand dignity in the world. His pace is slow and solemn,and he frequently turns gracefully round, as if to catch thesunbeams in every direction and produce new colours ofinconceivable richness and beauty. The cry of the Pea-cock is frequent, and very disagreeable. The plumes ares

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