BIRD LIVERIES AND THEIR MEANING. 27 



amusement, the length and offensiveness of these 

 spurs was increased by the addition of long silver 

 sheaths which were fastened on to the real spurs. 

 The use of spurs to wild birds, whether on the 

 w4ngs or legs, is the same — for purposes of offence. 

 The males, by whom they are almost exclusively 

 borne, fight furiously with these, for the posses- 

 sion of such eligible females as may be in the 

 neighbourhood. As the strongest almost invari- 

 ably wins he hands on his more vigorous con- 

 stitution and better weapons to his offspring and 

 these again repeat the process, thus in course of 

 time the size of these sjmrs has increased to the 

 size we know them now. 



CHAPTER II. 



BIRD LIVERIES AND THEIR MEANING. 



We have now completed a very brief survey of 

 how a bird is clothed, at least from the point of 

 view of the ivay in which this clothing is worn, 

 so to speak. I propose now to carry my readers 

 with me through a rapid survey into the domain 

 of bird fashions, to try and contrast the sombre 

 and the splendid, the useful and the ornamental. 

 But we can do no more than peep. 



The gorgeous plumes of the bird of paradise, 

 the splendid "train" of the peacock, the brilliant 

 hues of the humming-bird, the garish colours of 

 the toucan or the macaw, have at times excited 

 the wonder or the admiration of us all, but, 

 few perhaps suspect the fascinating problems to 



