. The natural history of Selborne [microform]. Natural history; Sciences naturelles. w. -r'' LETTER XXXV. 'To the same. Selborne, 1771. ^AR SIR,—Happening to make a visit to my neighbour's peacocks, I could not help observing that the trains of those magnificent birds appear by no means to be their tails ; those long feathers growing not from their uropygium, but all up their backs. A range of short brown stiff feathers, about six inches long, fixed in the uropygium, is the real tail, and serves as the fulcrum to prop the train, which is long and top-heavy when set on end. When the train is up
. The natural history of Selborne [microform]. Natural history; Sciences naturelles. w. -r'' LETTER XXXV. 'To the same. Selborne, 1771. ^AR SIR,—Happening to make a visit to my neighbour's peacocks, I could not help observing that the trains of those magnificent birds appear by no means to be their tails ; those long feathers growing not from their uropygium, but all up their backs. A range of short brown stiff feathers, about six inches long, fixed in the uropygium, is the real tail, and serves as the fulcrum to prop the train, which is long and top-heavy when set on end. When the train is up, nothing appears of the bird before but its head and neck ; but this would not be the case were those long feathers fixed only in the rump, as may be seen by the turkey-cock when in a strutting attitude. By a strong muscular vibration these birds can I. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original White, Gilbert, 1720-1793; Allen, Grant, 1848-1899. London; New York : J. Lane
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, books, booksubjectnaturalhistory
