458 



THE DESCENT OF MAN. 



insists, "is at a fearful disadvantage; the comb and gills 

 offer an easy hold to his adversary's beak, and as a cock 

 always strikes where he holds, when once he has seized his 

 foe, he has him entirely in his power. Even supposing 

 that the bird is not killed, the loss of blood suffered by an 

 undubbed cock is much greater than that sustained by one 

 that has been trimmed."* Young turkey-cocks in fighting 

 always seize hold of each other's wattles; and I presume 

 that the old birds fight in the same manner. It may per- 

 haps be objected that the comb and wattles are not orna- 

 mental and cannot be of service to the birds in this way; 

 but even to our eyes the beauty of the glossy black Spanish 

 cock is much enhanced by his white face and crimson 

 comb; and no one who has ever geen the splended blue 

 wattles of the male Tragopan pheasant distended in court- 

 ship can for a moment doubt that beauty is the object 

 gained. From the foregoing facts we clearly see that the 

 plumes and other ornaments of the males must be of the 

 highest importance to them; and we further see that beauty 

 is even sometimes more important than success in battle. 



*Tegetineier, "The Poultry Book," 1866, p. 139. 



