COURTSHIP AMONG ANIMALS 15 



The mouth is also often brightly tinted. Male lizards 

 frequently fight amongst themselves for possession 

 of the females. In the crocodiles also fierce battles 

 occur among the rival males. Though one might 

 expect ferocity from the crocodile, with his tremendous 

 jaws filled with sharp teeth, we would scarcely credit 

 him with coquetry; and yet Pycraft relates that 

 after the battle the victor capers about the female, 

 twirling around on the surface of the water with 

 head and tail raised high in the air and body swollen. 

 This is accompanied by loud bellowings and roarings 

 which are not heard at any other time than the 

 mating season of the year. 



The most varied forms of courtship are found 

 among the birds. The means employed for alluring 

 the females differ greatly. Some of the males arc 

 distinguished from the females by their plumage, 

 which they display in the most attractive manner. 

 The example most familiar to us is the peacock. 

 Though the female is unadorned, the male peacock 

 possesses a gorgeous tail which he spreads out like 

 an enormous fan before her during courtship. When 

 he thinks she is near enough, he suddenly whirls 

 round to show her all his splendour, accompanying 

 this action with a loud scream and a rapid motion 

 of the train, which produces a sound like the patter- 

 ing of rain on the leaves. Thus he stands before her 

 with bowed head, that she may admire his beauty 

 to the full. No wonder we speak of a conceited 

 person as being " proud as a peacock." 



Another beautiful bird with similar adornment is 

 the Argus pheasant (Fig. 9). Besides a decorated 

 tail, the male has enormously lengthened wing 



