54 BIRD COURTSHIP 



the female it would be hard to say. Among song- 

 birds, it is probably the best songster, or the one 

 whose voice suits her taste best. Among birds 

 of bright plumage, it is probably the gayest dress; 

 among the drummers, she is doubtless drawn by 

 some quality of the sound. Our ears and eyes are too 

 coarse to note any differences in these things, but 

 doubtless the birds themselves note differences. 



Birds show many more human traits than do quad- 

 rupeds. That they actually fall in love admits of 

 no doubt; that there is a period of courtship, during 

 which the male uses all the arts he is capable of to 

 win his mate, is equally certain ; that there are jeal- 

 ousies and rivalries, and that the peace of families is 

 often rudely disturbed by outside males or females 

 is a common observation. The females, when they 

 come to blows, fight much more spitefully and reck- 

 lessly than do the males. One species of bird has 

 been known to care for the young of another species 

 which had been made orphans. The male turkey 

 will sometimes cover the eggs of his mate and hatch 

 and rear the brood alone. Altogether, birds often 

 present some marked resemblances in their actions 

 to men, when love is the motive. 



Mrs. Martin, in her " Home Life on an Ostrich 

 Farm," relates this curious incident: 



" One undutiful hen having apparently im- 

 bibed advanced notions absolutely refused to sit 

 at all, and the poor husband, determined not to be 



