CHAPTER XI 



CONSIDERATION OF BRITISH BIRDS 



IN order to demonstrate, in still more detail, 

 the applicability of the theory, it will now be 

 applied to the colour of adult British Birds 

 during the breeding season. This material 

 is chosen because it is better to treat a small 

 amount of material exhaustively, than to pick 

 out from a large quantity (aves) only favour- 

 able examples ; and because the habits and 

 colours of British Birds are very well and 

 widely known : also because birds, as a whole, 

 are thus by no means badly exemplified ; and 

 birds well exemplify the theory. They are 

 classified in the following way, and will be 

 considered accordingly : 



II. Birds of prey. 

 2. Night birds. 

 3. Song birds. 

 4. Other birds. 



2. Female attracting ( 5. Open nests. 

 Male attracting \ 6. Closed nests. 



3. Female cryptic ( 7. Open nests. 

 Male attracting \ 8. Closed nests. 



4. Female attracting f 9. Open nests (2 birds). 

 Male cryptic \ 10. Closed nests (nil). 



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