i«5



how does the male bird know its female ? How should we know

our partners if we were all dressed alike ?


Mr. Abrahams told me that this was the first question

which he asked himself, and he decided that the character of the

face was the one to study.


In most if not in all Finches there is a noticeable

difference in the form of the beak, which when one first looks at

it, seems to be trivial and unimportant; but which if magnified

to the size which would be required for birds of our stature,

would be incalculably more marked than any by which we

should decide the sexes of uniformly clothed human beings. It

is doubtless owing to the feminine character of face given to

many birds by the form of their beaks or bills, that the males

chiefly recognize them ; and it is by the same feature that with

constant practice (our eyes being thereby educated) we can

frequently, and without a shadow of doubt, select pairs for

breeding purposes. In proof of this statement I may just note

the fact that of the many pairs of Java Sparrows which I have

put up for breeding, both for myself and for others, I have never

yet made a mistake; that a pair of selected Red-crested Cardinals

commenced a flirtation as soon as I put them together in a

breeding-cage ; that Saffron-finches almost in the same plumage,

and many other species, have shown almost immediately that

they were correctly sexed. And yet I do not consider that my

training in this branch of sexual selection is by any means

perfect; I am still far behind my instructor, whilst even he is not

quite infallible though very nearly so.


As I consider that example is always better than precept, I

have carefully sketched the heads of the male and female of a

fully adult pair of Java Sparrows, as well as the beaks of two

other species—the Red-crested Cardinal in profile, and the

Parson-finch as seen from above.


As a rule the beaks of female finches are narrower,

more gradually pointed, and often (though by no means always)

longer than those of the male: this rule, however, is not

invariable, because the beak of a bird being its chief offensive

and defensive weapon as well as its substitute for a pair of

hands, has to be modified to serve divers purposes. I have,

however, found the general plan of development to be somewhat

as follows :—


i. Birds which build nests for their wives have broader

skulls, and consequently a broader base to the beak.



