ii6 THE COURTSHIP OF ANIMALS 



high death-rate among the males by fighting. The same 

 is true of the Wydah-birds, and their kin, the only 

 polygamous species among the Passeres. 



In this connection it is to be remarked that fighting, 

 of a more or less sanguinary character, is apparently 

 universal among birds, the conflicts being waged 

 not so much in the way of squabbles for the possession 

 of females as for the acquisition and retention of 

 territory and all that this entails during the breeding 

 season and, to a much less extent, in the defence 

 of the eggs and young. But to this point we must 

 return. For the moment it will be more profitable 

 to focus attention on the character of this fighting. In 

 the first place, it is by no means necessary that the 

 combatants should be armed. The " dove of peace " 

 at this time of the year appears in a new and not always 

 pleasing light, for not only will he fight his neighbours, 

 but he does not always show that gentleness towards 

 his wife with which tradition has credited him. The 

 little Humming-bird would seem to be as little capable 

 of fighting as a bird could be, yet few are more pugnacious. 

 The naturahst Gosse tells of a pair which had torn one 

 another's tongues out in their blind fury ; and every- 

 body knows that Robins and Tits fight savagely to preserve 

 their chosen haunts from invasion by their neighbours. 

 In some birds this pugnacity has become an overmastering 

 passion. Some of the Quails, and a species of Rail (Gallic- 

 rex cristatus), a near relation of the Moorhen, are 

 commonly kept by the natives of the East, as our fore- 

 fathers kept Fighting-cocks, for the sake of seeing them 

 fight one another. Yet, save in the case of the Fighting- 

 cock, neither of these birds possesses any aggressive 

 weapons. 



