456 THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



latter being marked with three large conspicuous oval 

 spots of white.* This species when courting the female 

 slightly spreads out and vibrates these parti-colored tail 

 coverts in a very peculiar manner. The male Amadina 

 Lathami behaves very differently, exhibiting before the 

 female his brilliantly spotted breast, scarlet rump and 

 scarlet upper tail coverts. I may here add from Dr. 

 Jerdon that the Indian bulbul {Pycno7iotus limmorrhous) 

 has its under tail coverts of a crimson color, and these, it 

 might be thought, could never be well exhibited; but the 

 bird ^^ when excited often spreads them out laterally so 

 that they can be seen even from above. ^'f The crimson 

 under tail coverts of some other birds, as with one of the 

 woodpeckers, Picus major, can be seen without any such 

 display. The common pigeon has iridescent feathers on 

 the breast, and every one must have seen how the male 

 inflates his breast while courting the female, thus showing 

 them oft* to the best advantage. One of the beautiful 

 bronze-winged pigeons of Australia {Ocyphaps lophotes) 

 behaves, as described to me by Mr. Weir, very differently. 

 The male while standing before the female lowers his head 

 almost to the ground, spreads out and raises his tail and 

 half expands his wings. He then alternately and slowly 

 raises and depresses his body, so that the iridescent 

 metallic feathers are all seen at once and glitter in the sun. 



Sufficient facts have now been given to show with what 

 care male birds display their various charms, and this they 

 do with the utmost skill. While preening their feathers 

 they have frequent opportunities for admiring themselves 

 and of studying how best to exhibit their beauty. But as 

 all the males of the same species display themselves in 

 exactly the same manner it appears that actions, at first 

 perhaps intentional, have become instinctive. If so, we 

 ought not to accuse birds of conscious vanity; yet when 

 we see a peacock strutting about with expanded and 

 quivering tail feathers he seems the very emblem of pride 

 and vanity. 



The various ornaments possessed by the males are cer- 

 tainly of the highest importance to them, for in some cases 



*For the description of these birds see Gould's " Hand-book to the 

 Birds of Australia," vol. i, 1865, p. 417. 

 f " Birds of India," vol. ii, p. 96. 



