46 SEXUAL SELECTION: BIRDS. [Part IL 



some species of Lol)ivanellus a similar tubercle becomes 

 developed during the breeding-season " into a short horny 

 spur." In the Australian L. lobatus both sexes have spurs, 

 but these are much larger in the males than in the females. 

 In an allied bird, the Iloplopterus armatus, the spurs do not 

 increase in size during the breeding-season ; but these birds 

 have been seen in Egypt to light together, in the same 

 manner as our peewits, by turning suddenly in the air and 

 striking sideways at each other, sometimes with a fatal 

 result. Thus also they drive away other enemies." 



The season of love is that of battle ; but the males of 

 some birds, as of the game-fowl and ruff, and even the 

 young males of the wild-turkey and grouse," are ready 

 to fight whenever they meet. The jiresence of the female 

 is the teterrima belli causa. The Bengali baboos make the 

 pretty little males of the amadavat [lUstrelda amandava) 

 fight together by placing three small cages in a row, with 

 a female in the middle ; after a little time the two males 

 are turned loose, and immediately a desperate battle en- 

 sues." When many males congregate at the same ap- 

 pointed spot and fight together, as in the case of grouse 

 and various other birds, they are generally attended by 

 the females,"" which afterward pair with the victorious 



" See, on our peewit, Mr. R. Carr in ' Land and Water,' Aug. 8, 

 1868, p. 46. In regard to Lobivanellus, see Jei"don's 'Birds of India,' 

 vol. iii. p. 647, and Gould's ' Hand-book of Birds of Australia,' vol. ii. p. 

 220. For the Iloplopterus, see Mr. Allen in the 'Ibis,' vol. v. 1863, 

 p. 156. 



'* Audubon, 'Ornith. Biography,' vol. ii. p. 492; vol. i. pp. 4-13. 



'» Mr. Blyth, 'Land and Water,' 1867, p. 212. 



'" Richardson, on Tetrao umbellus, 'Fauna Bor. Amer. : Birds,' 1831, 

 p. 343. L. Lloyd, 'Game-Birds of Sweden,' 1857, pp. 22, 7'.), on the 

 capercailzie and blackcock. Brehm, however, asserts ('Tliierleben,* 

 etc., B. iv. s. 352) that in Germany the gray-hens do not generally attend 

 the Balzen of the blao'keocks, but this is an exception to the common 

 rule ; possibly the hen^ »»ay lie hidden in the surrounding bushes, as is 



