COURTSHIP IN BIRDS 251 



leave most progeny. But in many cases, victory 

 depends not so much on general vigor, as on 

 having special weapons conhned to the male sex. 

 A hornless stag or spurless cock would have a 

 poor chance of leaving numerous offspring. 



''Amongst birds, the contest is often of a more 

 peaceful character. All those who have attended 

 to the subject, believe that there is the severest 

 rivalry between the males of many species to at- 

 tract, by singing, the females. The rock-thrush 

 of Guiana, birds of paradise, and some others, 

 congregate; and successive males display with the 

 most elaborate care, and show off in the best 

 manner their most gorgeous plumage; they like- 

 wise perform strange antics before the females, 

 which, standing by as spectators, at last choose 

 the most attractive partner. 



"I cannot here enter on the necessary details; 

 but if man can in a short time give beauty and an 

 elegant carriage to his bantams, according to his 

 standard of beauty, I can see no good reason to 

 doubt that female birds, by selecting, during 

 thousands of generations, the most melodious or 

 beautiful males, according to their standard 



