Ornithological and Other Oddities 



is not at all well adapted for ridding their 

 persons of such unwelcome guests. Thus in the 

 groups where it occurs, no doubt natural selec- 

 tion has tended to preserve it ; at the same 

 time, the case furnishes an excellent illustration 

 of the fact, too often overlooked by zoologists, 

 that no structure, however much needed, can 

 be developed by selection until some strong 

 innate tendency to produce it has appeared. 

 Just as few birds, as I have already said, enjoy 

 the pleasure of both sand and water baths, so 

 few can claim to possess all the toilet appur- 

 tenances I have mentioned. The birds which 

 have the best powder-puffs, the great Australian 

 frog-mouthed nightjars or moreporks (Podargus), 

 have no pomade or comb at their disposal ; and 

 the Argus pheasant, which of all birds gives 

 up most for personal adornment, and spends 

 most of his time in a cleared space in the 

 jungle, which he keeps neat and trim as his 

 boudoir, has to perform his toilet without oil, 

 powder, or comb. Yet all three are bestowed 

 on the herons, some of the laziest of birds, 

 which are no more energetic in their toilet than 

 in anything else, being also singularly devoid 

 of ornaments peculiar to the male sex. 



It seems, therefore, that this partially-spread 

 toilet-table is altogether a mystery ; but, after 



all, we know very little as yet of the intimate 



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