l6o IN BIRD LAND. 



XV. 



VARIOUS PHASES OF BIRD IAYY.> 

 I. 



BIRD COURTSHIP. 



NO one who has studied the birds can deny that 

 there is genuine sexual love among them. 

 Many species act on the principle that " a pure life 

 for two" is the only kind of hfe to live, and there- 

 fore a match once made is a match that lasts until 

 death does them part. There may be fickleness, 

 divorce, and downright unfaithfulness among birds 

 sometimes, and there certainly is polygamy among 

 some species ; but such examples of irregularity are 

 rather the exception than the rule. Monogamy 

 largely prevails, and I have no doubt that any 

 departure from the regular connubial relation creates 

 a scandal in bird circles. 



As in the human world, so in the bird world a 

 pjriod of courtship precedes the celebration of the 

 nuptials. But the mode differs in different kingdoms 

 of creation. Many lovers in feathers conduct their 



1 This series of papers, as well as some others in this vol- 

 ume, was written at the suggestion of Mr. Amos R. Wells, 

 of " The Golden Rule," Boston, and was first published in 

 that journal. 



