286



Mr. R. I. Pocock.



the young'. It is during the nesting season, irrespective of

courtship and displaying, that these birds bear themselves with

greatest distinction ; they are then never lumpy or inert but are

invariably slim and tight, drawing themselves up to their highest

so as to have the more extensive view, and holding themselves,

the male in particular, so erect and upright that he may not

infrequently be seen within a shade of being absolutely perpen¬

dicular.


(To be continued).



THE DISPLAY OF THE COCK OSTRICH.


By R. I. Pocock, F.L.S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U.


Superintendent of the Zoological Society's Gardens.


The display of cock birds in the breeding season, when

both sexes are normally at the height of their physical vigour,

has always appeared to me to be one of the most fascinating side

issues of aviculture. It is, moreover, a phenomenon in the

natural history of birds, which, apart from its intrinsic attractive¬

ness, is worth the closest attention, for as yet no satisfactory

explanation of it has been suggested. Important contributions

to this end can be made by aviculturists who have the opportunity

of making and recording observations upon species in captivity

which naturalists, for the most part, have no chance of studying

in the wild. It may be objected that research into such matters

is, strictly speaking, not the province of aviculture at all. Per¬

haps it is not ; but since I am of the opinion that the scope of

aviculture should be extended to embrace all the ornithological

phenomena that fall under the notice of those who keep birds in

captivity: and since I feel convinced that a large number of

the members of our Society are as interested in the subject of the

courtship of birds as I am myself, I offer no apology tor occupy¬

ing a few pages of our magazine with some cursory remarks upon

the subject, prefacing them by a description of the very wonder¬

ful display of the cock Ostrich as I have seen it in the Zoological

Gardens; and I do this the more readily because the majority of

our members will probably never be given an opportunity of

witnessing this impressive spectacle.



