CHAPTER IX 



THE COUKTSlill' AND DANCIIsti OF I'.IRDS 



The Courting of the male Red-necked Phalarope by the female. 



Superiority of the Female — Hemipodes — Painted Snipes— Plialaropes 

 — Dancing of tlie Black Grouse — The " Spel " of the Capercailie 

 — The " showing-off " of the Great Bustard — The Bustard's pouch 

 — The RufPs display — The Crane's performance — The Rook in 

 love — The dance of the Jacana — The "Bailador" in "song and 

 dance." 



It cannot be denied that, in the majority of the species 

 of birds, the reverse of what we ]<no\v to be the case 

 with human beings is an evident fact, and the males are 

 by far the handsomer birds. Nevertheless, in a few 

 instances, the hen-bird is the best looking of the two. In 



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