400 'IHE DESCENT OP MAN. 



Germany and Scandinavia the balzing or leks of the black-cocks 

 last from the middle of March, all through April into May. As 

 many as forty or fifty, or even more birds congregate at the leks; 

 and the same place is often frequented during successive years. 

 The lek of the capercailzie lasts from the end of March to the 

 middle or even end of May. In North America "the partridge 

 "dances" of the Tetrao phasianellus "lasts for a month or more." 

 Other kinds of grouse, both in North America and Eastern Si- 

 beria,' follow nearly the same habits. The fowlers discover the 

 hillocks where the ruffs congregate by the grass being trampled 

 bare, and this shows that the same spot is long frequented. The 

 Indians of Guiana are well acquainted with the cleared arenas, 

 where they expect to find the beautiful cocks of the Rock; and 

 the natives of New Guinea know the trees where from ten to 

 twenty male birds of paradise in full plumage congregate. In this 

 latter case it is not expressly stated that the females meet on the 

 same trees, but the hunters, if not specially asked, would probably 

 not mention their presence, as their skins are valueless. Small 

 parties of an African weaver (Ploceus) congregate, during the 

 breeding-season, and pei-form for hours their graceful evolutions. 

 Large numbers of the Solitary snipe (Scolopax major) assemble 

 during dusk in a morass; and the same place is frequented for 

 the same purpose during successive years; here they may be 

 seen running about "like so many large rats," puffing out their 

 feathers, flapping their wings, and uttering the strangest cries." 

 Some of the above birds, — -the black-cock, capercailzie, pheasant- 

 grouse, ruff, Solitary snipe, and perhaps others, — are, as is be- 

 lieved, polygamists. With such birds it might have been thought 

 that the stronger males would simply have driven away the weak- 

 er, and then at once have taken possession of as many females 

 as possible; but if it be indispensable for the male to excite or 

 please the female, we can understand the length of the courtship 

 and the congregation of so many individuals of both sexes at 

 the same spot. Certain strictly monogamous species likewise 

 hold nuptial assemblages; this seems to be the case in Scandi- 

 navia with one of the ptarmigans, and their leks last from the 



1 Nordman de.soribes ('Bull. Soc. Imp. des Nat. Moscou,' 1861, torn, 

 xxxiv. p. 264) the balzen of Tetrao urogalloides in Amur Land. He 

 estimated the number of birds assembled at above a hundred, not 

 counting the females, wMich lie hid In the surrounding bushes. The 

 noises uttered differ from those of T. urogallus. 



^ "With respect to the assemblages of the above named grouse see 

 Brehm, 'Thlerleben,' B. iv. s. 350; also D. Lloyd, 'Game Birds of 

 Sweden,' 1867, pp. 10, 78. Richardson, "Fauna Bor. Americana,' Birds, 

 p. 362. References in regard to the assemblages of other birds have 

 already been given. On Paradisea see Wallace, in 'Annals and Mag. 

 of Nat. Hist.' vol. xx. 1857, p. 412. On the snipe, Lloyd, ibid. p. 221. 



