CHAPTER VI 



COURTSHIP AMONG BIRDS 



Generalities — Darwin v. Wallace — The Peacock in his Pride — ^The 

 " Display " of the Peacock Pheasant — The Splendour of the 

 Argus Pheasant and the Marvel of its Eyes — The Frill of the 

 Amherst Pheasant — Birds of Paradise in the Toils of Love 

 — Inflated Suitors — Ruffs and Reeves — Fearsome Weapons 

 and their Uses — Birds which dance — Musical Birds — The 

 Bird's Voice-box — The " Lek " of the Capercaillie — Instru- 

 ments of Percussion — The Curious Performance of the Wood- 

 pecker. 



The fact that so little is known about the mammals 

 during that period when the all-important work of securing 

 mates is going on, and of the subsequent events, is largely- 

 due to the difficulties which close observation of this phase 

 of their life-history entails. With the birds matters are 

 far otherwise ; their haunts are more accessible ; they are 

 far more numerous, and much more easily kept under 

 observation. Consequently, we have a tolerably complete 

 knowledge of the lives of some species, at any rate, during 

 the reproductive period ; that is to say, as to the sequence 

 of events from the beginning of the reproductive activities 

 onwards ; but the interpretation of what is seen is another 

 matter. No attempt which has yet been made to fathom 

 the psychology of sex has yielded more than a slight 

 insight into what is taking place. Nevertheless, this is 



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