BIRDS. 473 



faticrued, she alights, receives their addresses, and soon 

 makes a choice." He describes also how several male 

 night-jars repeatedly plunge through the air with astonish- 

 ing rapidity, suddenly turning, and thus making a singular 

 noise; '' but no sooner has the female made her choice than 

 the other males are driven away." With one of the 

 vultures {Cathartes aura) of the United States, parties of 

 eighty ten, or more males and females assemble on fallen 

 logs, *^ exhibiting the strongest desire to please mutually," 

 and after many caresses each male leads off his partner on 

 the wing. Audubon likewise carefully observed the wild 

 flocks of Canada geese {Anser canadensis), and gives a 

 graphic description of their love antics; he says that the 

 birds which had been previously mated ^^ renewed their 

 courtship as early as the month of January, while the 

 others would be contending or coquetting for hours every 

 day, until all seemed satisfied with the choice they had 

 made, after which, although they remained together, any 

 person could easily perceive that they were careful to keep 

 in pairs. I have observed also that the older the birds the 

 shorter were the preliminaries of their courtship. The 

 bachelors and old maids, whether in regret or not caring 

 to be disturbed by the bustle, quietly moved aside and lay 

 down at some distance from the rest."* Many similar 

 statements with respect to other birds could be cited from 

 this same observer. 



Turning now to domesticated and confined birds, I will 

 commence by giving what little I have learned respecting 

 the courtship of fowls. I have recieved long letters on this 

 subject from Messrs. Hewitt and Tegetmeier, and almost 

 an essay from the late Mr. Brent. It will be admitted by 

 every one that these gentlemen, so well known from their 

 published works, are careful and experienced observers. 

 They do not believe that the females prefer certain males 

 on account of the beauty of their plumage; but some allow- 

 ance must be made for the artificial state under which 

 these birds have long been kept. Mr. Tegetmeier is con- 

 vinced that a gamecock, though disfigured by being dubbed 

 and with his hackles trimmed, would be accepted as readily 

 as a male retaining all his natural ornaments. Mr.. Brent, 



Audubon, "Ornitholog. Biography," vol. i, pp. 191, 349; vol. ii, 

 pp. 42, 275: vol. iii, p. 2. 



