420 The Descent of Man. Taut II, 



seduced an unwilling pintail drake after a long courtship. Mr. 

 Bartlett believes that the Lophophorus, like many other gallina- 

 ceous birds, is naturally polygamous, but two females cannot be 

 placed in the same cage with a male, as they fight so much 

 together. The following instance of rivalry is more surprising 

 as it relates to bullfinches, which usually pair for life. Mr. 

 Jenner Weir introduced a dull-coloured and ugly female into his 

 aviary, and she immediately attacked another mated female so 

 unmercifully, that the latter had to be separated. The new 

 female did all the courtship, and was at last successful, for she 

 paired with the male ; but after a time she met with a just re- 

 tribution, for, ceasing to be pugnacious, she was replaced by the 

 old female, and the male then deserted his new and returned to 

 his old love. 



In all ordinary cases the male is so eager that he will accept 

 any female, and does not, as far as we can judge, prefer one to 

 the other ; but, as we shall hereafter see, exceptions to this rule 

 apparently occur in some few groups. With domesticated birds, 

 I have heard of only one case of males shewing any preference 

 for certain females, namely, that of the domestic cock, who, 

 according to the high authority of Mr. Hewitt, prefers the 

 younger to the older hens. On the other hand, in effecting 

 hybrid unions between the male pheasant and common hens, 

 Mr. Hewitt is convinced that the pheasant invariably prefers the 

 older birds. He does not appear to be in the least influenced by 

 their colour, but "is most capricious in his attachments:"" 1 

 from some inexplicable cause he shews the most determined 

 aversion to certain hens, which no care on the part of the 

 breeder can overcome. Mr Hewitt informs me that some hens 

 are quite unattractive even to the males of their own species, so 

 that they may be kept with several cocks during a whole season, 

 and not one egg out of forty or fifty will prove fertile. On the 

 other hand, with the Long-tailed duck (Hareld<t glucialis), "it 

 has been remarked/' says M Ekstrom, " that certain females 

 " are much more courted than the rest. Frequently, indeed, 

 " one sees an individual surrounded by six or eight amorous 

 4f males." Whether this statement is credible, I know not ; but 

 the native sportsmen shoot these females in order to stuff them 

 as decoys. 32 



With respect to female birds feeling a preference for particular 



'Ornamental Poultry,' 1848, p. 8. 3i Mr. Hewitt, quoted in ' Teget- 



For the turkey, Audubon, ibid. p. 4. meier's Poultry Book,' 1866, p. 165. 



For the capercailzie, Lloyd, ' Game 32 Quoted in Llovd's Game Bird? 



Birds of Sweden,' 1867, p. 23. of Sweden,' p. 345.*' 



