200 - Heredity. 



review of the subject they should receive some little 

 notice. 



Darwin says: " Male birds sometimes, though rarely, 

 possess special weapons for fighting with each other. 

 They charm the females by vocal and instrumental mu- 

 sic of the most various kinds. They are ornamented by 

 all sorts of combs, wattles, protuberances, horns, air- 

 distended sacs, top-knots, naked shafts, plumes and 

 lengthened feathers, gracefully springing from all parts 

 of the body. The beak and naked skin about the head 

 and the feathers are often gorgeously colored. The 

 males sometimes pay their court by dancing, or by fantas- 

 tic antics, performed either on the ground or in the air. 

 In one instance, at least, the male emits a musky odor, 

 which we may suppose serves to charm or excite the fe- 

 male. The ornaments are wonderfully diversified. The 

 plumes on the front or back of the head consist of vari- 

 ously shaped feathers, sometimes capable of erection or 

 expansion, by which their beautiful colors are fully dis- 

 plajTd. Elegant ear-tufts are occasionally present. The 

 head is sometimes covered with velvety down like that of 

 the pheasant, or is naked and vividly colored, or supports 

 fleshy appendages, filaments and solid protuberances. The 

 throat also is sometimes ornamented with a beard, or 

 with wattles or caruncles. Such appendages are gener- 

 ally brightly colored, and no doubt serve as ornaments, 

 though not always ornamental in our eyes: for while the 

 male is in the act of courting the female, they often 

 swell and assume more vivid tints, as in the case of the 

 male turkey. At such times the fleshy appendages about 

 the head of the male Ti'agopan pheasant swell into 

 a large lappet on the throat and into two horns, one on 

 each side of the splendid top-knot, and these are then col- 

 ored of the most intense blue which I have ever beheld. 



