BIRDS— SUMMARY. 491 



ously perforated lips, nostrils, or ears, distorted heads, &c.; and 

 these deformities present some analogy to the natural ornaments 

 of various animals. Nevertheless, with savages such fashions 

 do not endure for ever, as we may infer from the differences in 

 this respect between allied tribes on the same continent. So 

 again the raisers of fancy animals certainly have admired for 

 many generations and still admire the same breeds; they earnest- 

 ly desire slight changes, which are considered as improvements, 

 but any great or sudden change is looked at as the greatest blem- 

 ish. With birds in a state of nature we have no reason to suppose 

 that they would admire an entirely new style of coloration, even 

 If great and sudden variations often occurred, which is far from 

 being the case. We know that dovecot pigeons do not willingly 

 associate with the variously colored fancy breeds; that albino 

 birds do not commonly get partners in marriage; and that the 

 black ravens of the Feroe Islands chase away their piebald breth- 

 ren. But this dislike of a sudden change would not preclude their 

 appreciating slight changes, any more than it does in the case of 

 man. Hence with respect to taste, which depends on many ele- 

 ments, but partly on habit and partly on a love of novelty, there 

 seems no improbability in animals admiring for a very long period 

 the same general style of ornamentation or other attrac- 

 tions, and yet appreciating slight changes in colors, form, or 

 sound. 



Summary of the Four Chapters oti Birds. — Most male birds are 

 highly pugnacious during the breeding-season, and some possess 

 weapons adapted for fighting with their rivals. But the most 

 pugnacious and the best armed males rarely or never depend for 

 success solely on their power to drive away or kill their rivals, 

 but have special means for charming the female. With some it 

 is the power of song, or of giving forth strange cries, or instru- 

 mental music, and the males in consequence differ from the fe- 

 males in their vocal organs, or in the structure of certain feathers. 

 Prom the curiously diversified means for producing various 

 sounds, we gain a high idea of the importance of this means of 

 courtship. Many birds endeavor to charm the females by love- 

 dances or antics, performed on the ground or in the air, and some- 

 times at prepared places. But ornaments of many kinds, the 

 most brilliant tints, combs and wattles, beautiful plumes, elon- 

 gated feathers, top-knots, and so forth, are by far the commonest 

 means. In some cases mere novelty appears to have acted as a 

 charm. The ornaments of the males must be highly important to 

 them, for they have been acquired in not a few cases at the cost of 

 increased danger from enemies, and even at some loss of power 

 in fighting with their rivals. The males of very many species 

 do not assume their ornamental dress until they arrive at ma- 



