THE GALA DAYS OF BIRDS 125 



"Who would think that when our bald eagle, of 

 national fame, seeks to win his mate, his ardour 

 takes the form of an undignified galloping dance, 

 round and round her from branch to branch! 

 Hardly less ridiculous — ^to our eyes — ^is the 

 elaborate performance of our most common wood- 

 pecker, the flicker, or high-hole. Two or three 

 male birds scrape and bow and pose and chatter 

 about the demure female, outrageously undigni- 

 fied as compared with their usual behaviour. They 

 do everything save twirl their black moustaches t 



la the mating season some birds have beauties 

 which are ordinarily concealed. Such is the male 

 iruby-crowned kinglet, garbed in gray and green, 

 the two sexes identical, except for the scarlet 

 touch on the crown of the male, which, at courting 

 time, he raises and expands. Even the iris of 

 some birds changes and brightens in colour at the 

 breeding season; while in others there appear 

 about the base of the bill horny parts, which in a 

 month or two fall off. The scarlet coat of the 

 tanager is perhaps solely for attracting and hold- 

 ing the attention of the female, as before winter 

 every feather is shed, the new plumage being of 

 a dull green, like that of its mate and its young. 



As mystery confronts us everywhere in nature, 

 so we confess ourselves baffled when we attempt 

 to explain the most wonderful of all the attributes 

 of bird courtship— song. Birds have notes to call 

 to one another, to warn of danger, to express 



