SEXUAL SELECTION- 535 



taste of birds, I will give all the facts known to me, which 

 bear on the preference shown by the females for particular 

 males. It is certain that distinct species of birds occasion- 

 ally pair in a state of nature and produce hybrids. Many 

 instances could be given: thus Macgillivray relates how a 

 male blackbird and female thrush "fell in love with each 

 other," and produced offspring." Several years ago eigh- 

 teen cases had been recorded of the occurrence in Great 

 Britain of hybrids between the black grouse and pheasant;" 

 but most of these cases may perhaps be accounted for by 

 solitary birds not finding one of their own species to pair 

 with. "With other birds, as Mr. Jenner Weir has reason to 

 believe, hybrids are sometimes the result of the casual in- 

 tercourse of birds building in close proximity. But these 

 remarks do not apply to the many recorded instances of 

 tamed or domestic birds, belonging to distinct species, 

 which have become absolutely fascinated with each other, 

 although living with their own species. Thus Waterton" 

 states that out of a flock of twenty-three Canada geese, a 

 female paired with a solitary Bernicle gander, although so 

 different in appearance and size ; and they produced hybrid 

 offspring. A male widgeon (^Mareca penelo^e), living with 

 females of the same species, has been known to pair with 

 a pintail duck, Querquedula acuta. Lloyd describes the re- 

 markable attachment between a shield-drake {Tadorna vul- 

 panser) and a common duck. Many additional instances 

 could be given; and the Eev. E. S. Dixon remarks that 

 "those who have kept many different species of geese to- 

 gether well know what unaccountable attachments they are 

 frequently forming, and that they are quite as likely to pair 



" "Hist, of British Birds," vol. ii. p. 92. 



'8 "Zoologist," 1853-1854, p. 3946. 



" Waterlon, "Essays on Nat. Hist.," 2d series, pp. 42 and 117. For the 

 following statements, see on the nridgeon, Loudon's "Mag. of Nat. Hist.," 

 vol. ix. p. 616; L. Lloyd, "Scandinavian Adventures," vol. i., 1854, p. 452. 

 Dixon, "Ornamental and Domestic Poultry," p. 13t ; Hewitt, in "Journal of 

 Horticulture," Jan. 13, 1863, p. 40; Bechstein, "Stubenvogel, " 1840, s. 230. 

 Mr. J. Jenner Weir has lately given me an analogous case with ducks of two 

 epecies. 



