Chap. XIV.] PREFERENCE BY THE FEMALE. 109 



nation and taste of birds, I will give all the facts known 

 to me, which bear on the preference shown by the female 

 for particular males. It is certain that distinct species of 

 birds occasionally pair in a state of nature and produce 

 hybrids. Many instances could be given : thus Macgil- 

 livray relates how a male blackbird and female thrush 

 "fell in love with each othei'," and produced offspring." 

 Several years ago eighteen cases had been recorded of 

 the occurrence in Great Britain of hybrids between the 

 black grouse and pheasant ; " but most of these cases may 

 perhaps be accounted for by solitary birds not finding one 

 of their own species to pair with. With other birds, as 

 Mr. Jenner Weir has reason to believe, hybrids ai-e some- 

 times the result of the casual intercourse of birds building 

 in close proximity. But these remarks do not apply to the 

 many recorded instances of tamed or domestic birds, be- 

 longing to distinct species, which have become absolutely 

 fascinated with each other, although living with their own 

 species. Thus Waterton " states that out of a flock of 

 twenty-three Canada geese, a female paired with a solitary 

 Bernicle gander, although so different in appearance and 

 size ; and they produced hybrid offspring. A male Wig- 

 eon {Mareca penelope), living with females of the same 

 species, has been known to pair with a Pintail duck, ^wer- 

 qtcedula acuta. Lloyd describes the remarkable attach- 

 ment between a shield-drake (Tadorna vulpanser) and a 

 common duck. Many additional instances could be given ; 

 and the Rev. E. S. Dixon remarks that " those who have 



" ' Hist, of British Birds,' vol. ii. p. 92. 



" 'Zoologist,' 1853-1854, p. 3946. 



'8 Waterton, 'Essays on Nat. Hist.' 2d series, pp. 42, 11 7. For tbe 

 following statements, see, on the wigeon, Loudon's ' Mag. of Nat. Hist.' 

 vol. ix. p. 616 ; L. Lloyd, ' Scandinavian Adventures,' vol. i. 1854, p. 452 ; 

 Dixon, 'Ornamental and Domestic Poultry,' p. 137; Hewitt, in 'Journal 

 of Horticulture,' Jan. 13, 1863, p. 40; Bechstein, ' Stubenvogel,' 1840, 

 s. 230. 



