SENTIMENT IN PEAHENS 273 



absolutely trembles ; it is at this point that sports- 

 men on the Continent advance in stalking him, 

 though the admiring hens do their best to give 

 warning. Gnashing or snapping of the beak under 

 excitement occurs, by the way, among various 

 other birds ; it is particularly to be noted in Owls 

 when menaced, and in .the cock Rhea when 

 anxious about the safety of his brood. 



The attachment shown by the Capercaillie hens 

 to the cock has parallels elsewhere, notably in the 

 fondness Peahens display for their favoured mate ; 

 Heron states that his birds went unmated one whole 

 season because their favourite was shut up, but in 

 a wired run where he was still in view ; yet his 

 rival was a black- winged bird, more beautiful than 

 the type, and the successful bird was pied. I 

 recently, however, saw a Peahen in Regent's Park 

 associate persistently with a black-winged Peacock 

 instead of a common one ; but the former was 

 nevertheless inferior in beauty, as he only bore 

 his first full train, while the other bird was at his 

 best. The older bird, although feared by the 

 younger, did not press his advantage ; and it is 

 this propensity to leave matters to the female's 

 choice that makes Peafowl and Mandarin Ducks 

 so suitable for the study of sexual selection, for 

 birds which fight matters out upset the issue. 



In Peafowl the male seems to have no sentiment 



about the hen, but in many birds the male is 



selective whenever he gets the chance, which 



seldom happens in the wild state, females being at 



18 



