XI COLOUR AND SONG 305 
Museum at South Kensington there are some admir- 
able illustrations of protective coloration. 
Sexual Coloration, Song, Antics, Combats. 
Where there is a difference between the two sexes 
it is almost always the cock-bird that is the more 
brilliant of the two. The vocal powers also of the hens 
are very limited. The superior endowments of the 
males are accompanied by two allied characteristics, 
the love of displaying their fine colours and voices, 
and great pugnacity. The Peacock spreads out his 
splendid sea of eyes, and there can hardly be a doubt 
that during the display he is filled with pride and 
vanity. Sometimes he will back against a wall ; 
whether to hide the less brilliant back view, or to 
escape from the wind is not clear. The Turkey-cock 
puffs himself out, spreads his tail, and drags his wing- 
tips on the ground, no doubt with a view to effect. 
The Barndoor-cock looks often the personification of 
_ pride. Many of our small birds are constantly singing, 
and there is no doubt that love of display, emulation, 
and excitement are among the motives that actuate 
them. Bird fanciers match birds against each other to 
see which will sing the longest, and a really keen one 
will sometimes sing till he drops dead. Where Nightin- 
gales are common they often seem to be singing against 
each other. Bird-catchers attract Cock Chaffinches by 
exposing a stuffed bird to view while a first-rate singer 
carols in a cage out of sight. To decide for certain 
what the motive in a bird’s mind may be, is, no doubt, 
impossible. Even to know what is in the mind of 
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