Heads and Necks 283 
verge upon the monotony of a mere catalogue, my plea 
is that they have been cited with the intention of empha- 
sizing the fact of the remarkable degree which decoration, 
pure and simple, plays in courtship. Viewed from such 
a standpoint, these facts and comparisons become im- 
portant data in the observation of the courtship of birds, 
Fic. 227.—Snake-bird, showing crook in neck. 
which in its turn is one of the most important and interest- 
ing corollaries of the psychology of these beings. Whether 
female birds ‘have highly developed esthetic feelings, or 
whether the songs and dances and colour masses act more 
along the line of the passes of a hypnotist, is yet to be 
ascertained. 
It is also hoped that a realization of the more immedi- 
