Chap. XVL THE YOUNG LIKE THE ADULT MALES. 207 



rendered less conspicuous for the sake of protection 

 during the period of incubation ; but the difference 

 between the sexes in hardly any of the foregoing cases 

 appears sufficiently great for this view to be safely ac- 

 cepted. In some of the cases the brighter tints of the 

 female are almost confined to the lower surface, and the 

 males, if thus coloured, would not have been exposed to 

 danger whilst sitting on the eggs. It should also be 

 borne in mind that the males are not only in a slight 

 degree less conspicuously coloured than the females, but 

 are of less size, and have less strength. They have, more- 

 over, not only acquired the maternal instinct of incuba- 

 tion, but are less pugnacious and vociferous than the 

 females, and in one instance have simpler vocal organs. 

 Thus an almost complete transposition of the instincts, 

 habits, disposition, colour, size, and of some points of 

 structure, has been effected between the two sexes. 



jSTovv if we might assume that the males in the present 

 class have lost some of that ardour which is usual to 

 their sex, so that they no longer search eagerly for the 

 females ; or, if we might assume that the females have 

 become much more numerous than the males — and in 

 the case of one Indian Turnix the females are said to be 

 "much more commonly met with than the males"-® — 

 then it is not improbable that the females would have 

 been led to court the males, instead of being courted bv 

 them. This indeed is the case to a certain extent, with 

 some birds, as we have seen w ith the peahen, wild turkev, 

 and certain kinds of grouse. Taking as our guide the 

 habits of most male birds, the greater size and strength 

 and the extraordinary pugnacity of the females of the 

 Turnix and Emu, must mean that they endeavour^i^rTTT' 

 drive away rival females, in order to gain possessj^^w " 



Zv o^^ ^ 



/Q> o ^ 



26 Jirdoji, ' Birds of India,' vol, iii. p. 508. /^ -^ 



L LIBRA 



