396 The Descent of Man. Paiit II. 



'•' gabbled some kind of note, and was relieved by another. Thus 

 ff three of them successively took the field, and then, with self- 

 " approbation, withdrew to rest." The Indians, in order to 

 obtain their skins, wait at one of the meeting-places till the 

 birds are eagerly engaged in dancing, and then are able to kill 

 with their poisoned arrows four or five males, one after the 

 other. 87 With birds of paradise a dozen or more full-plumaged 

 males congregate in a tree to hold a dancing-party, as it is 

 called by the natives : and here they fly about, raise their wings, 

 elevate their exquisite plumes, and make them vibrate, and 

 the whole tree seems, as Mr. Wallace remarks, to be filled with 

 waving plumes. When thus engaged, they become so absorbed 

 that a skilful archer may shoot nearly the whole party. These 

 birds, when kept in confinement in the Malay Archipelago, are 

 said to take much care in keeping their feathers clean; often 

 spreading them out, examining them, and removing every speck 

 of dirt. One observer, who kept several pairs alive, did not doubt 

 that the display of the male was intended to please the female. 88 

 The Gold and Amherst pheasants during their courtship not 

 only expand and raise their splendid frills, but twist them, as I 

 have myself seen, obliquely towards the female on whichever side 

 she may be standing, obviously in order that a large surface may 

 be displayed before her. 89 They likewise turn their beautiful 

 tails and tail-coverts a little towards the same side. Mr. Bartlett 

 has observed a male Polyplectron (fig. 51) in the act of court- 

 ship, and has shewn me a specimen stuffed in the attitude 

 then assumed. The tail and wing-feathers of this bird are 

 ornamented with beautiful ocelli, like those on the peacock's 

 train. Now when the peacock displays himself, he expands and 

 erects his tail transversely to his body, for he stands in front 

 of the female, and has to shew off, at the same time, his rich 

 blue throat and breast. But the breast of the Polyplectron is 

 obscurely coloured, and the ocelli are not confined to the tail- 

 feathers. Consequently the Polyplectron does not stand in front 

 of the female ; but he erects and expands his tail-feathers a little 

 obliquely, lowering the expanded wing on the same side, and 

 raising that on the opposite side. In this attitude the ocelli 

 over the whole body are exposed at the same time before the 



87 Journal of R. Geograph. Soc' 89 Mr. T. W. Wood has given 

 vol. x 1840, p. 236. (' The Student,' April 1870, p. 115) 



88 • Annals and Mag. of Nat. Hist.' a full account of this manner of 

 vol. xiii. 1854, p. 157; also Wallace, display, by the Gold pheasant and 

 ibid. vol. xx. 1857, p. 412, and 'The by the Japanese pheasant, Ph. 

 Malay Archipelago,' vol. ii. 1869, p. versicolor ; and he calls it the lateral 

 252. Also Dr. Bennett, as quoted or one-sided display. 



by Brehm, 'Thierleben,' B. iii. s. 326. 



