FIRST WEEK] June 129 



cession. Not only this, but when a female bird is killed, 

 her mate is generally able at once somewhere, somehow, 

 to find another to take her place. Why these unmated 

 males and females remain single until they are needed is 

 something that has never been explained. 



The theme of the courtship of birds is marvellously 

 varied and comparatively little understood. Who would 

 think that when our bald eagle, of national fame, seeks to 

 win his mate, his ardour takes the form of an undignified 

 galloping dance, round and round her from branch to 

 branch ! Hardly less ridiculous to our eyes is the 

 elaborate performance of our most common woodpecker, 

 the flicker, or high-hole. Two or three male birds scrape 

 and bow and pose and chatter about the demure female, 

 outrageously undignified as compared with their usual 

 behaviour. They do everything save twirl their black 

 moustaches ! 



In the mating season some birds have beauties which 

 are ordinarily concealed. Such is 

 the male ruby-crowned kinglet, 

 garbed in gray and green, the 

 two sexes identical, except for 

 the scarlet touch on the crown of 

 the male, which, at courting time, INDIGO BUNTING. 



he raises and expands. Even the iris of some birds 

 changes and brightens in colour at the breeding season; 

 while in others there appear about the base of the bill 

 horny parts, which in a month or two fall off. The scar- 

 let coat of the tanager is perhaps solely for attracting and 

 holding the attention of the female, as before winter every 



