COURTSHIP AMONG BIRDS 95 



polyandrous : but while their behaviour during this period 

 of the life-history presents an extraordinary variety, it 

 is only at any rate slightly determined by the plurality 

 or otherwise of mates ; and the same rule holds in regard 

 to the brilliancy or otherwise of coloration. 



The most common manifestation of sexual desire among 

 birds takes the form of strange posturings which are, in 

 some species, enormously exaggerated by the display of 

 vividly coloured frills, tufts, or other conspicuous modifica- 

 tions of the normal plumage. The Peacock affords a 

 most excellent example of this combination of the con- 

 tortionist and the beau, though the nature of this display 

 is by no means generally understood. This applies more 

 particularly to artists, who from time immemorial to 

 the present day, in essaying to paint the Peacock in his 

 pride, have invariably fallen into the error of treating 

 the great ocellated train as if it were the tail, placing 

 it where, of course, the tail ought to be, at the end of 

 the body ! As a matter of fact it is nothing of the kind ; 

 these gorgeous plumes are really exaggerated tail-coverts 

 which, when set on end, appear to arise from an oval shield 

 of metallic green scales — the central back-feathers. When 

 this trailing glory is erected, the bird throws the body 

 forwards and downwards, so that the outermost train- 

 feathers fall downwards on either side in front of the 

 wings, which are more or less trailed : so that from the 

 front only the head and neck are visible, the rest of the 

 body being hidden behind the screen, as may be seen by a 

 reference to the accompanying photographs. The manner 

 of this display is extremely interesting, for the bird seems 

 to be conscious of the effect produced ; though it cannot 

 be supposed that this is really the case. 



When displaying, the bird gradually approaches the 



