96 SEXUAL SELECTION : BIEDS. Part IL 



cliiferently, exhibiting before tbe female his briUiaiitlv- 

 spotted breast and scarlet rump and scarlet upper tail- 

 coverts. I may here add from Dr. Jerdon, that the In- 

 dian Bulbul (Pijcnonotus hwmorrJious) has crimson under 

 tail-coverts, and the beauty of these feathers, it mio:ht 

 be thought, could never be well exhibited ; but the 

 bird " when excited often spreads them out laterally, 

 " so that they can be seen even from above." ^^ The 

 common pigeon has iridescent feathers on the breast, 

 and every one must have seen how the male inflates his 

 breast whilst courting the female, thus showing off these 

 feathers to the best advantage. One of the beautiful 

 bronze-winged pigeons of Australia (Oci/phaps lophotes) 

 behaves, as describetl to me by Mr. Weir, very differ- 

 ently : the male, whilst standing before the female, 

 lowers his head almost to the ground_, spreads out and 

 raises perpendicularly his tail, and half expands his 

 wings. He then alternately and slowly raises and de- 

 presses his body, so that the iridescent metallic feathers 

 are all seen at once, and glitter in the sun. 



Sufficient facts have now been given to shew with 

 what care male birds display their various charms, and 

 this they do with the utmost skill. Whilst preening 

 their feathers, they have frequent opportunities for ad- 

 miring themselves and of studying how best to exhibit 

 their beauty. But as all the males of the same species 

 display themselves in exactly the same manner, it 

 appears that actions, at first perhaps intentional, have 

 become instinctive. If so, we ought not to accuse birds 

 of conscious vanity ; yet when we see a peacock strutting 

 about, with expanded and quivering tail-feathers, he 

 seems the very emblem of pride and vanity. 



The various oi-naments possessed by the males are 



^7 ' Birds of lud.'a,' vol. ii. p. 96. 



