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Show 348 AVES. Common Peacock.) A species in which the head is ornament· ed with an aigrette of vertical feathers widened at the tips. This superb bird, originally from the north of India, was introduced into Europe by Alexander. Its magni~cent plumage is even surpassed in brilliancy by that of the w1ld ones. A rich blue supersedes the gold-gre.en specks alo~g their ba~k, and.on their wings; their tail also 1s more plenttfully furmshed With feathers. The Pavo spiciferus, improperly s~yled by Linnreus P. muticus for it also has spurs, is a distinct species. The feathers of its ~igrette are long and na row; its neck is_ not blue, but green, watered and gilt; the tail almost as magmficent as that of the common species.(!) Vieill. Galer. 202; Shaw, Nat. Misc. 641. Another species, P. bicalcaratus and thibetanus, Gm.; L'Eperonnier, En!. 492 and 493; Vieill. Galer. pl. 203 (The Chinquis), is much smaller, and has a short thick tuft on the head; each of the tarsi of the male is armed with two spurs; the coverts of the tail which are not so long, are marked with double spots, and tho~e of the scapulars with simple ones.(2) A neighbouring species, Polypl. albocellatum, T. is marked with 6imple blue spots surrounded by a whitish circle. A third, Pol. chalcurum, T. h:s blue quills, but its coverts are only marked with fawn· coloured and black stripes. LoPHOl'HORus, Tern. The head surmounted with an aigrette similar to that of the Pea· cock, and a flat tail, the coverts of which are not prolonged, othe;· wise resembling the preceding birds in the lustre of the metallic colours of the male. The circumference of the eye, and even the cheeks, are naked as in the Pheasants, and the tarsi are armed with strong spurs. A species is known from the mountains of the north of India, 1 L. refulgens, T.; Phasianus impeyanus, Lath. Syn. Supp. P· 114; Monaul, Sonnin.; Vieill. Gal. 208. Black; size of a Tur· key; the aigrette and dorsal feathers of changeable colours, reflecting tints of gold, copper, sapphire, and emerald; quills of ( 1) It was only known, fol' a long time, by a bad drawing from Japan, m· the s.i x· teenth century, (Aldl'ov., II, av., 33, 34,) but Messrs Duvauce 1 and. n1·a rd. hfaiv 1ng sent several of the birds from Sumatra to France, M. Vieillot has g1ven his gure from them. · ill t (2) M. Temminck makes a genus of it by the name of PoLnLECTRUllfi Vle 0 has changed it into DrPLl:CTRON. GALLINACE..rE. 349 the tail red. The young, and the female, are brown, dashed with grey and fawn-colour.( I) MELEAGRis, Lin.(2) The Turkeys have their head and upper part of the neck invested with a plumeless and papillated skin; an appendage under the throat, and another conical one on the forehead, which, in the male, when excited by passion, becomes so inflated and long, as to hang over the point of the beak. From the lower part of the neck of the adult male hangs a tuft or tassel of stiff hairs; the coverts of the tail shorter and stiffer than in the Peacock can be erected and displayed in the same way. The tarsi of the male are armed with weak spurs. But one species was known for a long time. Meleagris gallo-pavo, L.; Enl. 97. (The Common Turkey.) Introduced into Europe from America in the sixteenth century. The size of this noble bird, and the goodness of its flesh, have rendered it extremely common. The Wild Turkey of America, Vie ill. Gal. 20 1, is of a greenish brown, with a copper gloss. A second species, however, M. ocellata, Cuv. Mem. Mus., VI, pl. 1; Col., 112, has lately been described, almost equal to the Peacock in the brilliancy of its colours, and particularly in the sapphire coloured spots, sur. rounded with circles of gold and ruby, which decorate the tail. It was captured in the bay of Honduras. NuMmA, Lin.(3) The Guinea-fowls, or Pintados, have a naked head, fleshy wattles at the bottom of the cheeks, a short tail, and the cranium generally surmounted with a callous crest. Their feet are without spurs; their short, pendent tail, and the quantity of feathers on the rump, give a spherical air to the body. The common species, N. meleagris, L.; Enl. 108 (The Common Guinea-Hen), originally from Africa, has a slate-coloured plumage, every (1) 1Elian appears to have previously known and described it, Hist., anno. L. XVI, c. 2. Add the lophophore, Cuv., Tern. Col. pl. 1, with a pendent crest, black ~ody, and the edges of the dorsal feathers white; discovered by M. Duvaucel. It u, perhaps, the Phasianua leucomelarws of Lath. The female is brown, edges of the feathers on the breast whitish. (2) li:&LuGnxs is the Greek name of the Guinea-Hen, erroneously applied by Linna:us to the Turkey. (3) These birds were called Meleagrides by the ancient Greeks, who supposed them to have sprung from the metamorphosis of Meleager's sisters. They looked upon the spots on the feathers as traces of tears. The Romans called them Afri· can Hens, &c. They have been found no whet·e by the moderns except in Guinea. |
