PHEASANTS SENSITIVE TO VIBRATIONS 207 

 it shows how acutely sensitive these, and 

 probably all birds, are to vibrations which to 

 the human ear are scarcely if at all perceptible. 

 Though we know the cause of these demon- 

 strations, the question is, why should the birds 

 be thus affected? To arrive at a possible 

 solution of the problem we must as usual in- 

 vestigate the habits and character of the 

 species. To begin with, we note that many 

 birds of the gallinaceous order are polyga- 

 mous : to wit, domestic fowls, pea-fowl, tur- 

 keys, black-game, etc., including pheasants. 

 The male bird in all these cases is distinctly 

 and distinguishably " cock of the walk." 

 Paramount and supreme in his own run, the 

 cock pheasant must needs live up to his 

 reputation, nemo me impune lacessit, otherwise 

 he will surely be deposed by one more valiant 

 in the eyes of the female following. Naturally 

 fierce and combative, the bird is ever on the 

 qui vive and ready to tackle the first intruder 

 who dares venture within his precincts ; any 

 overstepping of the boundary is the prelude 

 to a fight. But, as a rule, the cocks, warned 

 by the challenges heard in various directions, 

 keep to their own ground. This perpetual 

 " crowing," accompanied by " wing-drum- 

 ming," is a natural provision and a very 

 effective one, for it results in keeping the 

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