126 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



songster \ but in this matter I want to be better informed. 

 The former has a variety of hurrying notes, and sings . all 

 night. Some part of the song of the former, I suspect, is 

 attributed to the latter. We have plenty of the soft-billed 

 sort, which Mr. Pennant had entirely left out of his 

 British Zoology, till I reminded him of his omission. See 

 British Zoology last published, p. 16. 



I have somewhat to advance on the different manners in 

 which different birds fly and walk ; but as this is a subject 

 that I have not enough considered, and is of such a nature 

 as not to be contained in a small space, I shall say nothing 

 further about it at present. 



No doubt the reason why the sex of birds in their first 

 plumage is so difficult to be distinguished is, as you say, 

 " because they are not to pair and discharge their parental 

 functions till the ensuing spring." As colours seem to be 

 the chief external sexual distinction in many birds, these 

 colours do not take place till sexual attachments begin to 

 obtain. And the case is the same in quadrupeds ; among 

 whom, in their younger days, the sexes differ but little : 

 but, as they advance to maturity, horns and shaggy manes, 

 beards and brawny necks, etc., etc., strongly discriminate 

 the male from the female. We may instance still farther 

 in our own species, where a beard and stronger features 

 are usually characteristic of the male sex : but this sexual 

 diversity does not take place in earlier life ; for a beautiful 

 youth shall be so like a beautiful girl that the difference 

 shall not be discernible : 



1 ' Quern si puellarum insereres choro, 

 Mirfc sagaces falleret hospites 

 Discrimen obscurum, solutis 

 Crimbus, ambiguoqne vultu." 



HOE. ODES. II. od. 5-21, p. 131, orig. edit. 



