640 THE DESCENT OF MAN 



change is looked at as the greatest blemisli. 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 Peroe Islands 

 chase away their piebald brethren. 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 elements, 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 attractions, 

 and yet appreciating slight changes in colors, form, or sound. 



Summary of the Four Chapters on 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 instrumental music, and 

 the males in consequence diiler from the females 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 court- 

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

 dances or antics, performed on the ground or in the air, 

 and sometimes at prepared places. But ornaments of many 

 kinds, the most brilliant tints, combs and wattles, beautiful 

 plumes, elongated feathers, topknots, and so forth, are by 

 far the commonest means. In some cases mere novelty ap- 

 pears to have acted as a charm. The ornaments of the males 

 must be highly important to them, for they have been ac- 



