BLACKCOCK. 191 



stuffs, and they are probably every one of 

 them polygamous in their habits. Thus we 

 can hardly doubt that the male birds, which 

 alone possess the brilliant plumage of their 

 kind, owe their beauty to the selective pre- 

 ference of their mates ; and that the taste 

 thus displayed has been aroused by their rela- 

 tion to their specially gay and bright natural 

 surroundings. The most lovely species of 

 pheasants are found among the forests of the 

 Himalayas and the Malay Archipelago, with 

 their gorgeous fruits and flowers and their 

 exquisite insects. Even in England our 

 naturalised Oriental pheasants still delight 

 in feeding upon blackberries, sloes, haws, 

 and the pretty fruit of the honeysuckle and 

 the holly ; while our dingier partridges and 

 grouse subsist rather upon heather, grain, 

 and small seeds. Since there must always 

 be originally nearly as many cocks as hens 

 in each brood, it will follow that only the 

 handsomest or most attractive in the poly- 

 gamous species will succeed in attracting to 



