CHAPTER IV 



THE COURTSHIPS OF SOME LABRADOR BIRDS 



" Mille modi veneris." 



Ovid. 



A MONO the primitive races of mankind 

 * * the male as a rule adorns himself more 

 than the female. He it is that rejoices more 

 in tattoo markings and paints, in the beauty 

 of the dressing of his hair and in adornments by 

 bright feathers. The female is modest by com- 

 parison and quiet in her savage apparel. Among 

 the lower animals this adornment in the male is, 

 with a few exceptions, the rule. The stag with 

 his great antlers is a striking object beside the 

 demure doe. Among the birds the contrast be- 

 tween the sexes is still more emphasized, and 

 the brilliantly coloured cock often appears to 

 belong to a different race from the quietly 

 dressed hen. The most striking contrasts are 

 to be seen among the famous birds of paradise 



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