. The naturalist's library; containing scientific and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects; . by the way to eat, it islet loose to return. The little animal no sooner finds itself at liberty, thanits passion for its native spot directs all its motions. It is seen, upon theseoccasions, flying directly into the clouds to an amazing height; and then,with the greatest certainty and exactness, directing itself by some surprisinginstinct towards home, which lies sometimes at many miles distance. Itis said, that, in the space of an hour and a half, they sometim
. The naturalist's library; containing scientific and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects; . by the way to eat, it islet loose to return. The little animal no sooner finds itself at liberty, thanits passion for its native spot directs all its motions. It is seen, upon theseoccasions, flying directly into the clouds to an amazing height; and then,with the greatest certainty and exactness, directing itself by some surprisinginstinct towards home, which lies sometimes at many miles distance. Itis said, that, in the space of an hour and a half, they sometimes perform ajourney of forty miles. The varieties of the tame pigeon are so numerous, that it would be a vainattempt to mention them all. AVES—PEACOCK. 587 ORDER Birds of this order have the bill short, convex, in some genera covered bya cere; upper mandible bending from its base, or only at the point; nostrilslateral, covered by a membrane, naked or feathered; tarsus long, three toesbefore, united at their base by a membrane; hind toe articulated on thetarsus above the junction of the anterior toes. 1HE PEACOCKi. Came originally from the East Indies; and we are assured that tney arestill found in vast flocks, in a wild state, in the islands of Java and leyion, » Pavo cristatus, Lis. The genus Pavo has the bill naked at the baseconvexabovethickened, bent down towards the tip; nostrils open; c^eeks P^^LjJ expandedcoverts very long; tail of eighteen feathers elongated broad capabl:oiJ^W™^like a fan, and ocellated; tarsus longer than the middle toe, with a conical sV ,crested. 588 AVES—PEACOCK. To describe, in adequate terms, the dazzling beauties of this elogant birdwould be a task of no small difficulty. Its head is adorned with a tuft,consisting of twenty-four feathers, whose slender shafts are furnished withwebs only at the ends, painted with the most exquisite green, mixed withgold; the head, throat, neck, and breast, are of a deep blue, glossed withgreen a
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidnaturalistsl, bookyear1851
