186 GLIMPSES OF INDIAN BIRDS 



Sometimes he chases his mate on the wing, and then 

 the pair of lovers perform the most wonderful gyra- 

 tions, twisting, turning, and doubling with greater 

 rapidity and ease than the most mobile butterfly. 

 The chase over, the birds descend to the ground and 

 remain motionless for a little. Then the cock — it is 

 impossible to distinguish the sexes by outward appear- 

 ance, but it is the custom to attribute all matrimonial 

 advances to the cock, hence I say the cock — opens 

 out his beautiful cinnamon-and-black corona and 

 runs rapidly along the ground. The lady of his choice 

 pays no attention whatever to his display. 



Mark this statement, gentle and ungentle readers ! 

 Mark it with a black mark, because it is an example 

 of that horrid heterodoxy of mine which causes the 

 worthy reviewers of a number of influential and 

 highly respectable newspapers to indulge at inter- 

 vals in much gnashing of teeth and to roar with 

 impotent rage. The orthodox view is, of course, that 

 the lady only pretends that she does not see the display 

 of the cock ; in reality she is watching it carefully 

 out of the corner of her eye, and is thoroughly appre- 

 ciating it. Says she to herself (according to the 

 orthodox view), "My eye! Hasn't John James got 

 a magnificent crest ! But I must not let him know 

 that I think it, otherwise he will suffer from swelled 

 head and be positively unbearable to live with ! " 



The orthodox would have us believe that the lady 

 hoopoe is a consummate actress. She may be. But, 

 I submit that the burden of proof is on those who make 

 such assertions. If the hen looks as though she is 



