GAY PLUMES AND DULL 



as the crab, the males of certain species, during 

 the breeding season, dance and gyrate about the 

 females, assuming many grotesque postures and 

 behaving as if intoxicated — as, indeed, they are, 

 with the breeding passion. 



Evidently the female crab does not prefer one 

 male over another, but mates with the one that 

 offers himself, as soon as he has excited her to the 

 mating point. And I have no proof that among 

 the birds the female ever shows preference for one 

 male over another ; she must be won, of course, and 

 she is won when the male has sufficiently aroused 

 her; she does not choose a mate, but accepts one 

 at the right time. I have seen two male bluebirds 

 fight for hours over a female, while she sat and 

 looked on indifferently. And I have seen two 

 females fight over a male, while he sat and looked 

 on with equal indifference. " Either will suit, but I 

 want but one." 



Of course Nature does not work as man works. 

 Our notions of prudence, of precision, of rule and 

 measure, are foreign to her ways. The stakes are 

 hers, whoever wins. She works by no inflexible 

 system or plan, she is spontaneous and variable 

 every moment. She heaps the measure, or she scants 

 the measure, and it is all one to her. Our easy 

 explanations of her ways — how often they leave 

 us where they found us ! The balance of life upon 

 the globe is fairly well maintained by checks and 

 99 



