The Oven Bird.



237



truth if we invert the idea and say that the decorations are

developed on particular areas, because the cocks pose in a par¬

ticular manner; the decorations, that is to say, are adapted to

the display. Or to put it tersely, the birds do not display because

they are decorated, but are decorated because they display.


One of the differences between these two opposed concep¬

tions is this: the first and prevalent one involves, in the judgment

of many naturalists, purposive action and consciousness of his

own beauty on the part of the cock bird ; the second does not

necessarily imply anything of the kind, the actions of the birds

being interpretable as prompted by instinctive impulses, un¬

accompanied by any consciousness of the display of beauty that

results therefrom.


There is, in my opinion, more to be said in favour of the

second view of the matter than will be acceptable to those who

prefer to measure the behaviour of birds by the human standard ;

and I do not flatter myself that the opinion that birds, in the

matter of display, are mere instinct-driven machines will com¬

mend itself to the predilections of most of my readers.



THE OVEN BIRD.


Funarius rufus.


Part I.


By J. Lewis Bonhote, M.A.


This bird, which is a native of South America, has long

attracted the attention of ornithologists, as, apart from being very

w'idely distributed, it has a partiality for human dwellings near

which its curious and conspicuous nest is almost invariably

placed. By the kindness of Miss Dorrien Smith, who forwarded

the accompanying photograph to Mr. Astley, we are able to

show the nest in position in its native country. Personally. I

have had no acquaintance with the bird itself, but in the absence

of Mr. Astley abroad, I have looked the matter up and append a

few short notes on its habits when wild. It is a small rufous

bird rather smaller than our Song Thrush and, like that species,

procures most of its food, which consists of larvae, worms and

other insects, on the ground in open places. It apparently pairs



