Ornithological and Other Oddities 



she is bent on aggression. Moreover, Audubon 

 found that old turkey-hens in the wild state would 

 respond to the gobbler's advances by displaying 

 themselves in imitation of him. Yet the hen 

 turkey cannot compare in brilliancy of plumage 

 with the cock, although she bears a general 

 resemblance to him. Facts like these may be 

 explained in two ways : Either the character- 

 istic display-attitude has been acquired by the 

 male in order to display his beauty, and after- 

 wards utilised for the expression of other than 

 amorous emotions (being also transferred to the 

 female by inheritance, just as the inordinate 

 pugnacity of fighting cocks has been, as breeders 

 of the old English Game and Indian Aseel know 

 to their cost), or this so-called display is really 

 the means the species possesses of showing its 

 emotions generally, and has merely been taken 

 advantage of by sexual selection, if such a pro- 

 cess exists. 



This latter view is rendered probable by the 

 fact that sometimes two nearly-allied species will 

 display in the same way, although not equally 

 decorated. Thus, the rearing up and bending 

 down of the head, so frequently practised by the 

 mallard and his domestic descendants, seems 

 admirably adapted for showing off the plushy 

 green head, white collar, and deep bay breast 

 of the drake ; but when we find the same 



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