264 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OP SCIENCES. 



sponsively from their roosting places. This is con- 

 tinued for about an hour; and, on the rising of the sun, 

 they silently descend from their perches, and the males 

 begin to strut, for the purpose of winning the admira- 

 tion of their mates. 



If the call be given from the ground, the males in the 

 vicinity fly toward the individual, and, whether they 

 perceive her or not, erect and spread their tails, throw 

 the head backwards, distend the comb and wattles, strut 

 pompously, and rustle their wings and body feathers, at 

 the same moment ejecting a puff of air from the lungs. 

 Whilst thus occupied, they occasionally halt to look out 

 for the female, and then resume their strutting and 

 puffing, moving with as much rapidity as the nature of 

 their gait will admit. During this ceremonious ap- 

 proach, the males often encounter each other, and des- 

 perate battles ensue, when the conflict is only terminated 

 by the flight or death of the vanquished. 



This pugnacious disposition is not to be regarded as 

 accidental, but as resulting from a wise and excellent 

 law of nature, which always studies the good of the 

 species, without regard to the individuals. Did not 

 females prefer the most perfect of their species, and 

 were not the favours of beauty most willingly dispensed 

 to the victorious, feebleness and degeneracy would soon 

 mark the animal creation; but, in consequence of this 

 general rule, the various races of animals are propagated 

 by those individuals who are not only most to be ad- 

 mired for external appearance, but most to be valued for 

 their intrinsic spirit and energy." 



The characters separating the different forms appear 

 to be discriminative marks. 



