146 Huxley, Bird-ivalching and Biological Science. [April 



in the Toucans, where the cock walls up the sitting hen in her nest- 

 hole in an old tree; there she remains, fed by him, till the young are 

 ready to fly. Other birds come more near to the ideal of the 

 women's movement of to-day; in them both sexes share the duties 

 of the pair more equally, and in all activities realize themselves 

 equally and to the full. The Grebes, the Herons and the Swans 

 will serve as examples. Sex-difference and sex-consciousness in 

 these seem to be less, and as a result, just as in Man in similar case, 

 there is in their courtship and the whole of their mutual relation, 

 not so much emphasis on the less real, less great things that depend 

 on sex-difference — coyness, timidity, helplessness in the female, 

 eagerness, vain display, superior physical prowess in the male — 

 and more emphasis on the things that are more fundamental, 

 because belonging to the race instead of to one half of it alone — 

 enjoyment of what is to be enjoyed, sharing of what is to be shared, 

 joint action, mutual help. Let anyone study the relation of the 

 sexes in such birds and compare it with the sex-relation in species 

 with marked sexual dimorphism; then think of what is meant by 

 the logical outcome of the chivalric, mediaeval idea of woman's 

 place, and compare that with the ideal behind the better part of 

 the woman's movement of to-day, and I believe he will understand 

 what I have in mind, difficult though it be to put into words. 



Restricting ourselves to facts rather than interpretations, it will 

 be found that the majority of passerine birds are monogamous, 

 pairing for the season only, — temporary marriage. The duration 

 of this tie is very variable; it may last until the nest is built, until 

 the young are hatched, until the young are fledged, or it may be 

 merged in a family life lasting through the winter. 



Some of the monogamous species are dull-colored altogether; 

 in others the cock is more brilliant and does most of the courting; 

 while in still a third group both sexes are adorned with colors or 

 structures that are employed in courtship. 



Other birds have true marriage; they pair for life. Such are 

 the majority of Falcons and Hawks — in whom, however, the 

 problem is made interesting owing to the fact that the hen bird is 

 larger, more powerful, and more active than the cock.^ 



' See F. Heatherly, ('13), where a magniflcent series of observations and photographs 

 on a single pair of birds is recorded. 



