290 On the Display of the cock Ostrich.


tation, and that ornamental patches, whether of colour or crest,

were developed on those areas that the posing cock naturally

presented to the hen. Attitudinising, or the performance of

antics, is perhaps the natural outcome of the disturbance that

overtakes the organism when the breeding fever holds sway, as

Wallace pointed out. It is ecstatic in the true etymological sense

of that term. In other words the cock birds appear to be beside

themselves and to behave as if struck with temporary insanity;

possibly, indeed, at that time their faculties are somewhat de¬

ranged, if I may make use of so anthropomorphic an expression,

One would expect different birds to be affected in different ways

by the organic disturbance above alluded to, and to show it by

differences of pose. Perhaps indeed at one time peculiarities of

pose were characteristic of families or, at all events, of genera;

and this consideration brings me to another interesting question

connected with display, namely, to what extent resemblances and

differences in display are to be regarded as indications of affinity

between birds. That some closely allied species, like, for

example, the Gold and Amherst Pheasant, display in exactly the

same way is known ; but perhaps it may not have occurred to

some of my readers that the display of the cock Turkey is almost

identical with that of the Peacock, although the former has no

resplendent train to raise with his tail-feathers. Now, has the

similarity in the pose of these two birds when displaying been in¬

dependently acquired or is it a sign of near relationship between

them ?


Questions such as these are of great interest to naturalists

as a whole, and have an important bearing on ornithology; and

my reason for touching briefly upon the subject is the hope that

I may induce aviculturists to furnish additional data relating to

the courtship and display of birds. Especially would facts be

welcomed that helped to confirm or refute Darwin’s hypothesis

of sexual selection. I have not mentioned the facts that lend it

support, and have only briefly touched upon one or two which

tend to break it down, because several of these, both pro and con,

have nothing directly to do with Birds. So far as Birds them¬

selves are concerned the theory stands, I believe, almost exactly

as it was left by Wallace’s criticism in “ Darwinism.” It remains.



