THE RED TURTLE DOVE 173 



gamous, but pair for life, the males do not fight, and 

 share equally with the females in parental duties. 

 Corresponding with the contrast of sexual habits is 

 the contrast of sexual dimorphism, which is virtually 

 absent in the Columbida." 



Mr. Cunningham evidently is not acquainted with 

 the red turtle dove ((Enopopelia tranqebarica) so 

 common in India, or he would not have asserted that 

 sexual dimorphism is virtually absent in the Columbidce. 

 The sexes in this species are very different in appear- 

 ance, and I know of nothing peculiar in its habits 

 to explain this dissimilarity. The sexual dimorphism 

 displayed by the red turtle dove is a fact equally 

 awkward for the Wallaceians, because the habits 

 of this species appear to be in no way different from 

 those of the other doves. I have seen red turtle doves 

 feeding in company with the three other common 

 species of Indian dove ; they eat the same kind of 

 food, build the same ramshackle nests, and lay the 

 usual white eggs. But I will not spend time in whipping 

 a dying horse. The poor overburdened beast which 

 we call Natural Selection has done yeoman service ; 

 for years he has pulled the great car of Zoology along 

 the rugged road of knowledge, and now that he is 

 past work, now that he stands tugging impotently 

 at the traces, it is time to pension him and replace 

 him by a new steed. Unfortunately, the drivers of 

 the coach happen to be old gentlemen, so old that 

 they fail to perceive that the coach is at a standstill. 

 They believe that they are still travelling along as 

 merrily as they were in Darwin's time. Ere long their 



