Ornithological and Other Oddities 



of animals has always been a most important 

 one in the present connection, and always finds 

 so many observers that evidence in its case is 

 particularly easy to obtain. 



One cannot observe or read about the habits 

 of birds very much without finding out that, 

 whatever may be the value of beauty, strength 

 counts for a great deal. Male birds constantly 

 fight for their mates, and the beaten individual, 

 if not killed, is at any rate kept at a distance 

 by his successful rival, so that, if he be really 

 more beautiful, his beauty is not necessarily of 

 much service to him. I was particularly im- 

 pressed by this about a couple of years ago, 

 when I frequently watched the semi-domesti- 

 cated mallards in Regent's Park in the pairing 

 season. These birds varied a good deal in 

 colour ; in some the rich chocolate breast was 

 wanting, and others had even a slate-coloured 

 head instead of the normal brilliant green. Yet 

 I found these ''off-coloured" birds could succeed 

 in getting and keeping mates when correctly- 

 dressed drakes pined in lonely bachelorhood ; 

 one grey-breasted bird had even been able to 

 indulge in bigamy. That strength ruled here 

 was obvious from the way in which the wedded 

 birds drove away their unmated rivals, a pro- 

 ceeding in which their wives most thoroughly 

 sympathised, as their gestures plainly showed. 



