Ornithological and Other Oddities 



dove, has a less impetuous, but more graceful 

 courtship. When bowing to the hen, he does 

 not spread his tail or strut about round her, 

 merely following humbly in her wake ; but he 

 has a very pretty aerial display, which makes up 

 for his want of activity when perched. He 

 towers up a dozen yards into the air, and then, 

 with raised and outspread tail, comes gently 

 gliding down again, showing off his beautiful 

 though sober plumage to the greatest advantage. 

 So rooted is this instinct in the tribe that I have 

 seen the domestic cream-coloured turtle-dove per- 

 form this pretty feat when let out, although his 

 aviary-bred ancestors could not have done it for 

 who knows how many generations. 



From doves to ducks is a great jump in the 

 eyes of most people ; even Chaucer takes occa- 

 sion to contrast the two as examples of coarse 

 indifference and refined tenderness ; but there are 

 ducks and ducks, and the quaint little Mandarin 

 drake of China can put to shame any turtle-dove 

 as a devoted lover. Ostentatious he is, indeed, 

 as Mr. Dando's photograph shows ; and he has 

 attitudes more extravagant than this, as he will 

 raise his crest yet higher and curve his neck back 

 till it almost touches his raised wing-fans. Then, 

 to see him dip his bill in the water and turn to 

 put it behind his wing, as if to smarten it up with 

 a final touch, one would think him the most con- 



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