THE AR0U8 DISPLAYING ITS PLUMAGE. 223 



the time. At my request ho kindly favoured me with the 

 following particulars : 



"It is with great pleasure that I comply with your 

 request to give you a description of the mode of display of 

 the Argus. The male bird commences by running about 

 very briskly, bending his neck, and seeming to look at the 

 female ' out of the corner of his eye ; ' he is evidently at 

 this time in a very playful mood : he elevates his wings 

 (while still closed) and shakes them. Suddenly, when close 

 to the female, he throws his wings forward, the primaries 

 resting on the ground, the secondaries extending upwards, 

 and the tertials having their upper surfaces pressed together. 

 At this time slight rustling sonnds are heard, which I 

 have no doubt are produced chiefly by the movements of the 

 side feathers of the tail, as they are alternately moved 

 outwards and inwards ; the large feathers of the wings are 

 also slightly waved, and moved at regular intervals down- 

 wards towards the female. But the most remarkable cir- 

 cumstance is that the bird places his head behind, or under 

 one wing, so that in front there is nothing to intercept the 

 view of the observer of his plumage. With the head so 

 placed, how is he to observe his ' ladye love,' which, one 

 would think, he must very strongly desire to do ? My idea 

 was that, by lowering his head a little, he could peep between 

 his wings; but Mr. A. D. Bartlett has told me that he has 

 seen the head thrust through the wing feathers, and Mr. B. 

 Bartlett suspected this on finding some secondary feathers of 

 a specimen which he set up disordered at their bases. I have 

 drawn the head in the position in which it has been placed 

 when I have seen the bird display, and not as described by 

 Mr. Bartlett, although not for one moment doubting the 

 accuracy of such a keen observer, and I am sure I shall be 

 excused for representing only what I have seen, especially as 

 that is sufficiently curious. When I have noticed, the heaa, 

 it has been placed under the right wing; but J should not 

 think this is invariably the case. You are aware that I have 



