^66 The Descent of Man. Tart TI, 



racter. Thus in the male of our common peewit ( Vandlus oris- 

 iaius) the tubercle on the shoulder of the wing becomes more 

 prominent during the breeding-season, and the males fight 

 together. In some species of LobiTanellus a similar tubercle 

 becomes developed during the breeding-season " into a short 

 " horny spur." In the Australian L. Zoiates both sexes have spurs, 

 but these are much larger in the males than in the females. In 

 an allied bird, the Hoplnpttrus armatus, the spurs do not increase 

 in size during the breeding-season ; but these birds have been 

 seen in Egypt to fight together, in the same manner as our 

 peewits, by turning suddenly in the air and striking sideways 

 at each other, sometimes with fatal results. Thus also they 

 drive away other enemies." 



The season of love is that of battle; but the males of some 

 birds, as of the game-fowl and ruff, and even the young males oi 

 the wild turkey and grouse," are ready to fight whenever they 

 meet. The presence of the female is the teterrima belli causa. 

 The Bengali baboos make the pretty little males of the amadavat 

 (kstrtlda amandava) fight together by placing three small cages 

 in a row, with a female in the middle ; after a little time the two 

 males are turned loose, and immediately a desperate battle en- 

 sues.'' When many males congregate at the same appointed 

 spot and fight together, as in the case of grouse and various other 

 birds, they are generally attended by the females,™ which after- 

 wards pair with the victorious combatants. But in some cases the 

 pairing precedes instead of succeeding the combat : thus accord- 

 ing to Audubon,^ several males of the Virginian goat-sucker 

 (Oaprimulgus viryinianus) "court, in a highly entertaining 

 " manner the female, and no sooner has she made her choice, 

 " than her approved gives chase to all intrudcre, and drives 



meilea, Brehin*s * Thierleben,' B. iv. ^ Richardson on Teirao nmbellns 



s. 740. See also on this bird Azjira, ' Ffinna Bor. Anier. ; Birds,' 1831, 



' Voyages dans rAmerique merid.' p. 343. L. Lloyd, ' Game Birds oi 



torn. iv. 1809, pp. 179, 253. Sweden,' 1867, pp. 22, 79, on the 



'^ See, on our peewit, Mr. R. Carr capercailzie and black-cock. Brehm, 



in ' Land and Water,' Aug. 8t.h, however, asserts (' Thierleben,' &c., 



1868, p. 46. In regard to Lobi- B. iv. s. 352) that in Germany the 



vanellus, see Jerdon's * Birds of grey-hens do not generally attend 



India,' vol. iii p. 647, and Gould's the Balzen of ' he black-cocks, but 



• Handbook of Birds of Australia,' this is an exception to the common 



vol. ii. p. 220. For the Holopterns, rule; possibly the hens may lie 



see Mr. Allen in the ' Ibis,' vol. v. hidden in the surrounding bushes, 



1863, p. 156. as is known to be the case with the 



" Audubon, ' Ornith. Biography,' grey-hens in Scandinavia, and with 



vol. ii. p. 492; vol. i. pp. 4—13. other species in N. America. 



" Mr. Blyth, ' Land and Water, ^i i Ornithological Biograiihy, 



1867, p. 2rj. Tfll. ii. p. 27.5. 



